Chapter 18 - The Blood on the Marble
The sound of my own gunshot was completely drowned out by the deafening roar of the coastal thunder.
My round struck Arthur squarely in the chest, stopping him mid-stride as he attempted to pull his trigger.
His gun fired wildly into the stormy sky, harmlessly expending its lead into the black clouds above.
Arthur looked down at his ruined chest with an expression of stunned, absolute bewilderment, as if death were impossible for a man of his standing.
"You... weren't supposed to be here..." Arthur choked out, blood bubbling up over his pale lips.
He collapsed forward onto the wet stones of the lighthouse terrace, motionless beneath the driving rain.
Out on the ledge, the sudden distraction caused Marcus's grip to slip against the wet fabric of Julian’s sleeve.
"Marcus! Hold on to me!" Julian shrieked, his fingers clawing at Marcus’s forearms in wild, animal panic.
"I can't hold you!" Marcus yelled over the wind, his boots skidding dangerously close to the slick edge.
Julian’s coat tore with a sharp, violent rip, the expensive seams giving way under his full body weight.
Julian let out one final, blood-curdling scream before plunging into the darkness toward the jagged rocks of Blackwood Bay.
A distant, sickening crash echoed from the waves below, quickly swallowed by the relentless roar of the stormy Atlantic.
Marcus collapsed onto his knees on the wet concrete, his breath coming in ragged, violent gasps.
I dropped my smoking weapon, running across the terrace to throw my arms around his trembling shoulders.
"Marcus, you're alive... you're alive," I sobbed, pressing my face against his soaking wet neck.
He pulled me into his arms with a fierce, crushing desperation, burying his face in my hair as he trembled uncontrollably.
"Clara... you followed me," he whispered, his voice cracking with sheer emotion. "You saved my life."
"We are a family, Marcus," I cried, holding him tightly against the freezing storm. "We don't leave each other behind."
He pulled back, his eyes searching my face in the dark, checking for any injuries with frantic, loving hands.
"Maya... where is Maya?" he asked, panic immediately returning to his voice.
"She’s safe in the SUV, the antidote worked, she was sleeping peacefully," I assured him quickly, holding his face in my hands.
Marcus closed his eyes, letting out a long, shuddering breath of profound relief that seemed to release years of hidden agony.
He stood up slowly, pulling me with him, and walked over to where Arthur lay motionless on the stone platform.
Arthur was barely breathing, his eyes fluttering weakly beneath the heavy sheets of falling rain.
Marcus knelt down beside the dying lawyer, his face settling into a cold, merciless mask of final judgment.
"The real ledger, Arthur," Marcus said, his voice cutting through the lawyer's fading consciousness. "Where is the master server?"
Arthur let out a weak, rattling laugh, blood staining his white teeth in the darkness.
"You think... Julian and I... were the only ones?" Arthur wheezed, his fingers twitching against the wet pavement.
Marcus grabbed Arthur’s lapels, pulling him up until their faces were inches apart.
"Who else is involved, Arthur? Tell me!" Marcus demanded, shaking the dying man violently.
"Eleanor... never told you... about the overseas syndicate..." Arthur whispered, his voice growing fainter with every word.
"The real buyers... already paid the deposit... for your daughter's bloodline..."
May you like
Arthur’s head rolled back against the stone, his eyes glazing over as his final breath escaped into the bitter ocean air.
***
