Chapter 31 - The Viper’s Ploy
The freezing wind whipped Clara’s dark hair across her pale face as she clutched Lily tightly against her chest. The little girl was sobbing softly, her small body trembling with cold and terror.
"Mommy, I'm scared. I want to go home," Lily whimpered, burying her face into Clara’s green shawl.
"I know, my sweet angel. I've got you. Look at me, Lily—keep your eyes on Mommy," Clara whispered fiercely, blinking back hot tears as the deafening concussions of grenades shook the ground beneath them.
Before Clara could stand, a heavy-booted foot slammed down into the snow beside them. A gloved hand reached out, grabbing Clara by the shoulder with crushing force. She gasped, looking up into the harsh, expressionless ballistic visor of a viper mercenary.
"Get up, Mrs. Moretti. The Council wants the bloodline intact," a distorted, synthetic voice hissed from the operative's comm-unit.
Before the mercenary could haul Clara to her feet, a massive shadow descended upon him. Dante slammed into the operative like a freight train, driving his tactical knife deep into the soft armor beneath the man’s armpit. The mercenary let out a choked gasp and collapsed into a lifeless heap.
"Move! We have less than two minutes before their reinforcements sweep the entire perimeter!" Dante shouted, extending a hand to haul Clara up while scooping Lily into his free arm with practiced, military precision.
Across the tarmac, the battle was reaching a fever pitch. Julian Bennett’s elite guards were being systematically slaughtered by the merciless efficiency of the viper syndicate. Julian himself was being dragged backward toward his waiting jet by two of his remaining bodyguards, his face purple with rage, screaming curses in the freezing wind as his empire crumbled around him.
Gabriel burst through the smoke, intercepting Dante, Clara, and Lily just as a fresh wave of armored vehicles pivoted their heavy turrets toward their position.
"Get them on the jet! Now!" Gabriel ordered, his breath pluming in the freezing air as he raised his assault rifle, laying down a furious wall of covering fire that shredded the tires of the nearest enemy transport.
Dante scrambled up the metal staircase of the Moretti aircraft, shoving Clara and Lily safely inside the heated cabin. Gabriel fired his last magazine, the bolt locking back with a sharp metallic click, just as a massive explosion rocked the northern hangar, showering the runway in burning debris.
"Gabriel! Get in!" Dante screamed from the open cabin door.
Gabriel didn't hesitate. He pivoted, leaping up the stairs just as a high-caliber sniper round punched clean through the exterior steel hull of the aircraft, missing his spine by mere inches. He slammed the heavy hydraulic door shut and threw the locking lever into place.
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"Take off! Full thrust! Now!" Gabriel roared at the pilot through the cockpit intercom.
The twin jet engines whined with a deafening, high-pitched shriek, vibrating the entire airframe as the Gulfstream surged forward down the icy runway, lifting off into the dark, unforgiving Canadian sky just as the viper convoy overran the spot where they had stood moments before.
