Chapter 7 - Fire and Rain
The ambush lasted less than three minutes.
From inside the armored Maybach, Marin watched the chaos unfold through the reinforced glass. The sudden pop of suppressed gunfire echoed off the corrugated metal walls of the abandoned mills. Sparks flew as tires were blown out, and within moments, the two lead pickup trucks were disabled, their drivers dragged out and neutralized with cold, ruthless efficiency by Casper's men.
Casper himself hadn't even left the vehicle. He sat beside her, calm as a statue, reloading a spare magazine with practiced, mechanical precision.
When the gunfire finally died down, and Cyrus’s voice crackled over the radio confirming the street was clear, Casper turned to Marin.
"You have a tactical mind," Casper noted, clicking the magazine into place. "Where did you learn street geography like that?"
"When you work three jobs across three different boroughs of Chicago, you learn every shortcut, every alley, and every blind spot in the city," Marin said, her voice steady, though her hands were trembling slightly now that the adrenaline was beginning to fade. "You have to, if you want to get home before dark."
Casper reached out. His large, calloused hand cupped her chin, tilting her face upward so she had no choice but to look into his eyes. His touch was firm, yet surprisingly gentle—a contrast that sent a strange, electric shiver straight down her spine.
"You're not just a secretary, Marin," Casper murmured, his voice husky and low. "You're a survivor. And survivors don't belong in the background."
Before she could form a reply, the secure phone on the center console buzzed.
Casper picked it up, listening for a moment as Hollis spoke from the mansion. His expression darkened instantly into a mask of pure, unadulterated fury.
"What do you mean, she's gone?" Casper demanded, his voice dropping into a register that made the armored cabin feel ten degrees colder.
Marin’s heart skipped a beat. "Who's gone?"
May you like
Casper ended the call with a violent swipe of his thumb. He looked at Marin, his ash-gray eyes flashing with suppressed rage.
"Your sister," Casper said. "Posie has been taken from her hospital room."
