Chapter 5 - Shadows on Lake Michigan
The rain hit the windshield of the armored SUV in heavy, torrential sheets as we moved through the industrial graveyard of South Chicago. I had refused to stay behind at the safehouse, forcing Dorian to bring me along in the secondary command vehicle, protected by six heavily armed guards under Caleb's direct command.
"We have visual on the warehouse, Boss," Noah’s voice crackled through the tactical radio system. "Perimeter is heavily guarded. At least fifteen armed men visible on the roof and dock level."
"Is the girl inside?" Dorian asked through his comms unit, sitting in the seat beside me, checking the magazine of his custom heavy pistol.
"Thermal imaging confirms two hostages on the second floor," Noah replied. "The girl... and a high-value target."
Dorian’s eyes narrowed. "High value?"
"Boss... it's Viktor Vance himself. He's at the location."
My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. Vance was there in person. He was so confident that his trap would work that he had come to watch Dorian's execution personally.
"Dorian, please be careful," I choked out, grabbing his arm as he prepared to step out into the rain with his tactical squad.
Dorian pulled me toward him, placing a long, fiercely passionate kiss on my lips. It was filled with all the desperate love, fire, and protection he had kept bottled up inside for six agonizing months.
When he pulled back, his dark eyes burned with an intensity that took my breath away. "I spent six months pretending I didn't love you to keep you safe, Alina. I am never pretending again. Wait for me here. I'll be back in twenty minutes."
"Dorian—"
"I love you, Alina. You and our baby," he whispered, pressing a kiss to my forehead before slipping out into the dark, rain-soaked night.
Outside, the storm masked the sound of silenced gunshots as Dorian's elite strike force swept through the warehouse perimeter like lethal shadows.
Inside the command SUV, I watched the live tactical feeds on the wall monitors. Green thermal silhouettes moved rapidly through the building layout. Red hostiles dropped one by one.
"Upper level secure," Noah's voice radioed in. "Hostage Marcus's daughter secured and unharmed. We're moving her to extraction."
"Where is Vance?" Dorian's voice came through the comms, cold and lethal.
Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the entire dock district. The tactical monitors flickered and went black.
"Dorian?!" I screamed into the radio mic on the dashboard. "Dorian, respond!"
Static hissed through the speaker.
"Caleb! What happened?!" I panicked, looking at Caleb in the driver's seat.
"The warehouse... Vance had it rigged with localized charges to cut off the tactical team," Caleb said, his face pale as he looked out the reinforced window. "Boss's signal went down!"
Before Caleb could call for backup, a heavy metallic smash rattled the side of our command SUV.
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The driver's window cracked under the impact of a high-caliber round.
"AMBUSH!" Caleb roared, drawing his weapon as heavy gunfire rained down on our vehicle from the surrounding darkness. "Mrs. Cross, get down on the floor NOW!"
