Chapter 12 - The Fortress of SolitudeSophia raised her pistol, but Maria was faster.
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A single suppressed round struck Sophia’s hand, spinning her around as her gun clattered to the floor. She collapsed, screaming in pain.
Julian walked up to Victoria, taking the golden flash drive from her trembling fingers. He looked down at his treacherous wife with cold disgust.
"You thought you were playing chess, Victoria," Julian whispered, leaning down close to her ear. "You were just a pawn moving on a board I built."
"Please, Julian!" Victoria sobbed, grabbing his coat. "I was forced into this! Alexander threatened to kill my family! I love you! I love Leo!"
"Never say his name again," Julian warned, his voice a blade of ice. He looked at Maria. "Take them both to the French black site. They will spend the rest of their natural lives answering questions for my security team."
Two minutes later, Julian and Maria stood on the rooftop of the Parisian building, watching the private transport van drive away with Victoria and Sophia.
The rain was soft, cooling the night air.
"Where to now, Chief?" Maria asked, stepping up beside Julian. "The safehouse in New York will be purged and unlocked by tomorrow morning. Leo is safe."
Julian looked at Maria. In the quiet of the night, the barriers between employer and security chief felt remarkably thin. The memory of her standing up to Alexander in Monaco, risking her life for his son, burned brightly in his mind.
"We aren't going back to New York yet," Julian said softly. "Alexander still has his private army hidden in his Swiss Alps fortress. He won't stop until he knows I am buried. So... we take the fight to his home."
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Maria smiled—a rare, genuine smile that transformed her sharp face into something captivating. "A two-person siege on an alpine fortress? Those are terrible odds, Julian."
"They have an army, Maria," Julian said, offering her his hand. "I have you."
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