Chapter 7 - the doctor's confession
The gunfight in the upper courtyard lasted less than twenty minutes.
Dominic’s elite security force, moving with terrifying tactical precision, surrounded the incoming Vance mercenaries, neutralizing the strike team before they could even penetrate the grand foyer.
Down in the medical wing of the estate, the heavy steel door clicked open.
Dominic stepped inside, his dark tactical vest covered in rain and soot. Behind him walked Vincent, holding a heavy leather briefcase retrieved from Dr. Nolan Mercer’s private office.
Dr. Mercer sat in a swivel chair near his examination table, his hands trembling violently as he stared at the floor. His medical scrubs were wrinkled, his stethoscope hanging limp around his neck.
"You knew about the pin, Nolan," Dominic said flatly, his deep voice echoing in the sterile white room.
Dr. Mercer looked up, tears of pure terror and shame streaming down his aged face. "Dominic... please... they had my daughter! Arthur Voss showed me photos of my daughter in Boston with a sniper scope trained on her forehead!"
Dominic stopped three feet away, his massive frame looming over the old physician. "You were my personal doctor for twelve years, Nolan. You stood in this house and swore an oath to protect my family."
"Arthur forced me to clear the altered brace during your morning checkup!" Mercer sobbed, covering his face with his hands. "If I had refused, my daughter would be dead! I didn't want to paralyze you, Dominic... I tried to delay the pin's mechanical release so you would feel the discomfort before the chemical deployed!"
Dominic took a deep, heavy breath. The cold fury in his chest was tempered by the realization that Arthur Voss’s web of corruption had spared no one in his inner circle.
"Where is your daughter now?" Dominic asked sternly.
"She’s... she’s trapped in a hotel in downtown Chicago," Mercer whimpered.
Dominic looked over at Vincent. "Send Team Alpha to Boston and Chicago immediately. Secure Dr. Mercer's daughter and bring her to the estate by private jet. Once she is safe... Dr. Mercer will pack his bags and leave state lines forever."
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Mercer looked up in utter disbelief, weeping openly. "You're... you're sparing my life?"
"You made a deal with a snake to save your child," Dominic said softly, thinking of Clare and Ellie. "As a man who would tear down cities to protect those I love... I understand your weakness. But you will never practice medicine in my territory again."
