Chapter 13 - THE HUNTERSJulian walked out of the tree line, his hands empty, fully exposed in the harsh glare of the fortress’s perimeter floodlights.
Immediately, red laser sights danced across his chest. Four heavily armed mercenaries stepped out from the reinforced steel gates, weapons trained on his head.
"Frisk him," the squad leader barked.
They patted Julian down, finding nothing but the clothes on his back. They didn't know Maria was currently scaling the blind side of the fortress, bypassing the thermal sensors using a cryogenic suit she had packed in the G-Wagon.
Julian was escorted inside, marched down a long, sterile corridor lined with modern art and high-tech weaponry. The doors at the end slid open, revealing a massive, glass-walled command center overlooking the Swiss Alps.
Standing by the window, swirling a glass of red wine, was Alexander Vance.
He looked exactly like Julian, but his eyes were entirely devoid of humanity. A cruel, jagged scar ran down the side of his neck—a souvenir from the plane crash he had staged three years ago.
"Little brother," Alexander smiled, turning around. "You look terrible."
"Where is my son," Julian demanded, his voice echoing in the cavernous room.
Alexander gestured to a reinforced glass room off to the side. Inside, baby Leo was sleeping peacefully in a high-tech crib. Next to the crib, Elena was tied to a chair, terrified, an armed guard standing behind her.
"Safe and sound," Alexander grinned. "I must admit, Julian, I'm impressed. You survived Marcus, you survived the hit squad, you survived the avalanche. You've proven you are a worthy custodian of my empire."
"It's not your empire," Julian spat. "You forfeited it when you decided to play dead."
"I was purging weakness!" Alexander suddenly roared, shattering his wine glass against the wall. "Our father was weak! You are weak! You let a woman like Victoria manipulate you. You let a servant, Maria, protect you. You are soft, Julian!"
Alexander walked slowly toward Julian, pulling a heavy silver revolver from his jacket.
"But I will fix it," Alexander whispered. "I will take the company. I will raise your son to be a ruthless king, devoid of your pathetic morality. And you? You will join Victoria."
He leveled the gun at Julian’s head.
"Any last words, CEO?" Alexander mocked.
May you like
Julian didn't flinch. He looked past Alexander's shoulder, up at the ventilation grate near the ceiling. He smiled coldly.
"Look up."
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