Chapter 3 - The Evacuation
I didn't wait for him to count down the seconds.
I bolted into my bedroom, grabbing my backpack, my nursing bag, my personal identification, and my emergency medications from the bathroom cabinet.
Before I could zip the nylon pouch shut, my front door swung open with a resounding crack as the brass lock gave way.
Marco, the broad-shouldered bodyguard who had lingered by curtain four, stepped across the threshold, lowering a heavy leather gloved hand.
"Pardon the damage, Miss Shaw," he said without a hint of remorse. "We will pay for a custom mahogany replacement tomorrow."
"You broke my lock!" I stammered, pulling my jacket tight around my shoulders.
"I saved your life," Marco answered simply, grabbing my elbow with an iron grip that permitted no resistance.
"Move quickly, please. Down the fire escape. The front lobby is already compromised."
We scrambled down the iron stairs into the narrow, damp alley behind the brick building just as the screech of tires echoed from the front street.
Two unmarked grey sedans tore into the driveway, men jumping out with automatic weapons drawn and masks covering their faces.
Marco didn't even flinch; he shoved me into the rear compartment of a waiting armored truck as gunshots shattered the quiet evening air.
The heavy door slammed shut, sealing out the noise with a vacuum hiss of bulletproof gaskets.
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The vehicle lunged forward, tires screaming against the asphalt as two escort SUVs formed a rolling barrier around us.
Behind us, through the reinforced tinted glass, I watched three armed men get tackled to the ground by Russo's perimeter guards.
