Chapter 9 - The Battle for St. Jude's
The sleek black SUV tore through the rain-slicked streets of New York, running every red light with police-style emergency strobes flashing beneath the grille.
Within six minutes, Sebastian and Claire arrived at the rear ambulance entrance of St. Jude’s Hospital.
Sebastian pulled a sleek black sidearm from his shoulder holster, his movements fast, practiced, and deadly. He turned to Claire. "Stay behind me."
They slipped into the hospital through the basement laundry chutes, bypassing the compromised main lobby. Claire led Sebastian up the private staff stairwell directly to the third-floor medical wing.
As they reached the top landing, the heavy steel doors opened.
Julian Valenti stood in the middle of the red-lit hallway, holding a locked transport incubator. Two armed guards flanked him.
"You're too late, Moretti!" Julian sneered, raising his weapon. "This baby is our ultimate bargaining chip! With him in our custody, your empire belongs to us!"
Before Julian could pull the trigger, Sebastian moved with blinding speed.
He fired two precise, non-lethal shots into the shoulders of the two guards, dropping them instantly to the floor. In a single fluid motion, Sebastian closed the distance, grabbed Julian by the throat, and slammed him violently against the concrete wall.
"You took my first son fourteen years ago," Sebastian growled, his voice vibrating with absolute, terrifying fury. "You will not touch another child of mine."
Julian gasped for air, his face turning blue under Sebastian’s iron grip. "You... you don't even know... who the fourteen-year-old is..." Julian choked out with a sinister grin. "He's... he's right under your nose..."
May you like
Sebastian tightened his grip, his eyes burning into the traitor's. "Where is he?"
"He's... he's working in this very hospital..." Julian wheezed out before passing out from lack of oxygen.
