Chapter 7 - [THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY]
Answer one: Victor hadn't just blacked out the city. He had called in a marker with his greatest rivals, the Russian Bratva, uniting them against a common enemy: the corrupt police force that had been stealing from both of them.
Open two: Can Victor control the Russians once they are inside? And what happens to Posie in the crossfire?
The precinct erupted into absolute chaos.
The Russian operatives opened fire on the corrupt officers. Gunfire deafened Delphine. Glass shattered, concrete chipped, and smoke filled the lobby.
Victor grabbed Delphine’s waist and shoved her behind a heavy concrete pillar.
“Stay down!” he roared over the gunfire.
Chief Thomas had vanished up the stairs, leaving his daughter Elise screaming on the floor.
Victor didn't wait. He checked his magazine, grabbed Delphine’s hand, and pulled her up the secondary stairwell.
“We have to find holding!” Delphine cried, coughing from the gunsmoke.
“Third floor!” Victor yelled.
They sprinted up the concrete stairs. The sound of the battle echoed below them.
They burst onto the third floor. The hallway was empty, the officers having rushed down to fight the Russians.
Delphine ran down the hall, looking into the small holding cells.
“Posie!” she screamed.
“Mommy!” a weak, raspy voice called out.
Delphine skidded to a halt in front of cell 4.
Posie was curled on the metal bench. She was pale, her lips tinged with blue, gasping for air. Her asthma attack was worsening.
“Posie, baby, I’m here!” Delphine sobbed, gripping the iron bars.
The cell was locked.
Victor stepped up. He didn't waste time looking for keys. He raised his weapon and fired point-blank into the locking mechanism.
He kicked the door open.
Delphine rushed in, pulling Posie into her arms. The little girl’s breathing was shallow and wheezing terribly.
“She needs a hospital, Victor,” Delphine panicked. “She’s closing up.”
“We’ll take her to my private clinic,” Victor said, scooping the little girl into his strong arms. “Hold on, Posie. You’re safe now.”
They stepped out of the cell.
At the end of the hallway stood Chief Thomas.
He was holding a massive assault rifle, aimed directly at them.
“You ruined everything, Victor,” Thomas spat, blood on his face. “I’m not letting you walk out of here.”
Victor shielded Posie with his body, standing in front of Delphine.
“Put the gun down, Thomas,” Victor said calmly. “It’s over. The Russians are taking the building.”
“Then I’ll take you to hell with me,” Thomas screamed, his finger pulling the trigger.
BANG.
But the shot didn't come from Thomas’s rifle.
Thomas froze, his eyes going wide. A dark red stain bloomed across his chest. He collapsed forward onto the linoleum floor.
Standing behind him, holding a smoking revolver, was Rosalind Castellano.
The elderly woman from the bakery.
She looked immaculate, perfectly calm, stepping over the dead Chief of Police.
“I told you, Victor,” Rosalind said softly, putting the gun back into her designer purse. “You always talk too much before you shoot.”
She looked at Delphine, her eyes softening. “Bring the child. The helicopter is waiting on the roof.”
They rushed up the final flight of stairs to the roof. A massive black helicopter was waiting, its blades cutting through the rain.
They climbed in. The helicopter lifted off just as the precinct below was completely overrun.
Victor put an oxygen mask over Posie’s face. Within minutes, the little girl’s breathing began to steady. Her color returned.
Delphine collapsed against the seat, crying tears of absolute relief, holding her daughter's small hand.
Victor sat across from her. He reached out and gently wiped a tear from Delphine’s cheek.
“You’re safe,” Victor whispered, his eyes filled with a profound, terrifying tenderness.
Delphine looked at him, feeling a bond forged in fire and blood.
But as the helicopter banked toward the Castellano estate, Victor’s phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen. The tenderness vanished from his face, replaced by absolute dread.
He looked at his mother.
“Mom,” Victor said, his voice shaking. “Camille just sent a message. She didn't stay at the warehouse.”
“Where did she go?” Rosalind asked sharply.
Victor looked at Delphine.
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“She went to the bakery. And she set it on fire.”
TITLE: THE ASHES OF TOMORROW
