Chapter 12 - Broken GlassThe revelation of the flash drive triggered a massive federal intervention, but Julian Vance was not a man to go quietly into a cell.
That evening, as a massive summer storm front rolled over Richmond, a tactical unit of heavily armed mercenaries—hired through an offshore shell corporation managed by Vance Pharmaceuticals—launched a coordinated assault on the secure military wing where Claire was being held for protection.
The attack was sudden and brutal. The power to the facility was cut at 0100, plunging the corridors into a terrifying, red-lit emergency backup state. The sound of shattered glass—Broken Glass—echoed down the hallways as the mercenary team breached the rear windows using suppressed automatic weapons.
"Daniel!" Claire screamed as the door to her room was blown off its hinges by a breaching charge.
Daniel didn't hesitate. He used his own body as a shield, throwing himself across her gurney as plaster and wood splinters rained down in the dark. A stray round caught him across the left shoulder, tearing through the meat of the muscle, but he didn't stop. With his remaining strength, he wheeled the gurney into the deep, reinforced concrete service tunnel beneath the hospital’s morgue.
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"Hold your breath," Daniel gasped, his blood dripping onto the white sheets as he pushed the heavy iron door shut, locking the security bolts just as the mercenary boots pounded against the concrete outside.
Military police reinforcements arrived ninety seconds later, transforming the hospital into a combat zone, capturing four of the attackers and forcing the rest to retreat into the rainy night.
