Chapter 2 - The Crossfire
The chaos broke instantly. The leader lunged, but Noah pivoted, using his momentum to slam the man into the reinforced glass of the window. The bus driver scrambled to open the doors, but the other two gang members pulled pistols, their movements practiced and cold.
"Claire, down!" Noah shouted, shoving the nurse behind the heavy seat of the back row.
Ranger launched himself, a blur of fur and focused rage. He didn’t bite to kill, but to neutralize, knocking the second attacker off balance before a bullet could find its mark. The gun discharged, the deafening report shattering the silence of the night. The bus erupted in screams. Noah, fueled by adrenaline and the grim muscle memory of his former life, stripped the weapon from the lead attacker’s grip. He felt the cold iron of a silencer under his palm—this was black-market hardware, military grade.
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He looked at Claire. She was clutching the drive to her chest as if it were a heartbeat. "Why them?" he demanded. "It's not just a file," she gasped, her knuckles white. "It’s a list. They’re selling patient records to shadow firms—insurance fraud on a massive, lethal scale. They’re killing witnesses to cover the paper trail."
Before Noah could respond, the wail of sirens cut through the cold air. The attackers panicked, retreating toward the door. They didn't care about the money anymore; they cared about the evidence. As they bailed into the darkness, the lead man turned, his eyes locking onto Noah’s. "You’re off the grid, old man. But we know exactly where you sleep."
