Chapter 2 - The Red Dot
Vincent stared at the glowing red dot on his wife's chest.
His heart stopped completely.
He yelled at his driver to turn the vehicle around immediately.
The armored SUV spun violently in the middle of the intersection.
Vincent kept his eyes glued to the live video feed on his phone.
Hannah was standing on the sidewalk waiting for her private car.
She pulled her coat tightly around her waist.
She looked incredibly sad and completely unaware of the sniper.
Vincent dialed the security detail assigned to watch her.
Nobody answered the radio channel.
He realized Laurel must have dismissed Hannah's usual guards.
Marcus pulled out a heavy pistol from his shoulder holster.
We are exactly two blocks away.
Vincent watched the red dot move slowly up toward Hannah's head.
He rolled down the window of the speeding SUV.
The freezing wind whipped against his face.
The SUV violently jumped the curb in front of the Halstead Hotel.
Pedestrians screamed and dove out of the way.
Vincent kicked his door open before the vehicle even stopped moving.
He tackled Hannah to the frozen concrete sidewalk.
The loud crack of a high-caliber rifle echoed through the street.
A bullet shattered the glass revolving door exactly where Hannah had been standing.
Hannah screamed and covered her head.
Vincent wrapped his entire body around hers to shield her.
Are you hurt?
Hannah shook her head wildly while clutching his jacket.
I am fine.
Marcus provided covering fire toward the rooftop across the street.
The sniper did not fire a second shot.
Vincent lifted his wife and shoved her into the back of the armored SUV.
Marcus jumped into the driver's seat and hit the gas pedal.
They sped away from the hotel leaving a trail of chaos behind them.
Hannah was shaking uncontrollably in the back seat.
Why would someone shoot at me?
Vincent gently brushed the snow out of her beautiful brown hair.
Because they know you are the only thing in this world I care about.
He decided he was not going to hide the truth from her anymore.
He told her about Laurel's bank accounts and the Romano family.
Hannah stared at him with wide and terrified eyes.
Laurel told me I was ruining your reputation.
Vincent took her trembling hands in his.
Laurel is a traitor who was paid to make you leave me.
He reached into his pocket to show her the offshore banking files.
His fingers brushed against something unexpected in his coat.
It was a piece of thick parchment paper.
Vincent pulled it out and unfolded it.
It was a handwritten note slipped into his pocket during the chaos.
May you like
The note said the sniper was just a warning.
The real bomb was already inside his house.
