Chapter 5 - The Breakout
Captain Thorne hesitated, his hands shaking violently as he looked at the gun in Sterling’s hand. “Major... killing an IG officer... that’s execution level. We can't—”
“Shut up, Thorne!” Sterling barked, never taking his eyes or the gun off me. “We have fifty million dollars in offshore accounts. If she leaves this base, we spend the rest of our lives in Leavenworth. Do it!”
Thorne reached for the zip-ties on the desk.
I didn't wait for him to secure my wrists.
Using the split-second Sterling turned his head to yell at Thorne, I stepped inside the line of fire, driving my palm upward into the bottom of Sterling’s wrist. The pistol discharged with a deafening BANG, sending a 9mm round shattering through the ceiling plaster.
Before Sterling could adjust his grip, I grabbed his thumb, twisting it back until the bone cracked. He let out a roar of pain, dropping the gun onto the carpet. I kicked the weapon across the room, spun on my heel, and delivered a solid side-kick to Sterling’s chest, sending his massive frame crashing back against the bookshelves.
Thorne panicked and lunged for the fallen gun. I swept my leg low, catching him behind the ankle and slamming him face-first into the hardwood floor.
I grabbed the gun from the floor, popped the magazine to verify the rounds, and racked the slide.
Sterling was already pushing himself up, coughing, blood trickling from his nose, his eyes burning with fury.
“You think you can fight your way off my base?” Sterling wheezed, clutching his broken thumb. “My men hold every guard tower!”
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“They hold the towers,” I said, pointing the gun straight at his forehead. “But they don't hold the hearts of the men you’ve been abusing.”
I backed toward the door, unlocked the deadbolt with one hand, and stepped out into the stormy corridor, locking the heavy timber door behind me with the master key from Thorne’s desk.
