Chapter 11 - Fire and Iron
Lily didn't think. The survival instinct that had kept her alive in the foster system hijacked her brain.
She slammed her foot onto the accelerator.
The heavy SUV roared to life, its tires squealing against the wet concrete as it launched out of the shadows.
"Lily, no!" Mercer yelled as the truck barreled directly into the courtyard.
She didn't aim for Volkov. She aimed for the shipping containers where the snipers were hiding. She slammed the side of the SUV into the rusted metal structures with a deafening crash, collapsing the scaffolding and sending the hidden shooters tumbling to the ground.
Chaos erupted.
Volkov’s guards opened fire, their bullets sparking against the armored glass of the SUV.
From the high tower above, Cole’s sniper rifle barked loudly. One guard dropped, then the second.
Mercer grabbed Elena, pulling her behind the concrete pillars of the mill just as Volkov drew a massive hand cannon from his coat.
Lily kicked the crumpled door of the SUV open, crawling out into the mud. She reached into her pocket, her fingers brushing against the cold silver of the antique forceps Cole had given her.
Volkov was advancing on Mercer's position, completely ignoring the ledger on the ground. He wanted blood.
"Ivan!" Lily screamed, grabbing a discarded flare from the emergency kit that had spilled from the crashed truck. She struck it against the asphalt.
Blinding red light illuminated the courtyard.
Volkov turned, sneering at the nurse in the ruined scrubs. "You should have stayed in the hospital, little girl."
He raised his gun toward her.
A single gunshot echoed through the mill.
Volkov froze. He looked down at his chest, where a dark crimson flower was blooming rapidly against his expensive cashmere coat.
He fell to his knees, dropping his weapon, and collapsed face-first onto the wet concrete.
John Mercer stood ten feet away, his gun smoking in the cold air, his eyes completely hollow. He lowered the weapon, swaying dangerously on his feet before his knees buckled.
"John!" Elena screamed, running to her brother.
Lily sprinted across the courtyard, sliding to her knees beside him. The epinephrine was wearing off, and the internal bleeding had returned with a vengeance.
"You're an idiot," Lily cried, pressing her hands desperately against his ruined abdomen.
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Mercer looked up at her, a weak, bloody smile touching his lips. "I told you... I always come back for the thread."
His eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.
