Chapter 47 - The Broken Mirror
Vivienne screamed, a raw, guttural shriek as she collapsed to the gravel, clutching her shattered arm.
From the shadows of the tree line, Desmond stepped into the light of the railcar's halogen lamps, his rifle leveled at the remaining guards. Two shots cracked in dry succession; the two sentries crumpled to the deck before they could clear their holsters.
Leo emerged from the rear of the railcar, his shotgun leveled at the conductor’s cabin, securing the perimeter with brutal efficiency.
Sadi kicked the dropped detonator into the weeds, then dropped to her knees beside Vivienne. Without an ounce of hesitation, Sadi drove her thumb directly into the brachial pressure point of Vivienne’s wounded arm, cutting off the arterial spray while pinning her mother’s head against the rusted iron rail.
"You're a doctor, Sadi..." Vivienne gasped through clenched teeth, her pale face slick with sweat. "You took an oath..."
"I took an oath to do no harm," Sadi whispered, leaning down so close their breath mingled in the freezing fog. "You aren't a human being, Vivienne. You're a malignant tumor. And I am a surgeon."
Desmond approached, his heavy combat boots crunching on the stone. He towered over the woman who had spent thirty years orchestrating his family’s destruction. He reached down, picking up Vivienne’s dropped handbag, pulling out an encrypted satellite phone and a heavy bronze key stamped with the Roman numeral *IX*.
"The key to the Chillon sub-vault," Desmond said coldly.
Vivienne laughed, blood bubbling between her teeth. "You think you've won, Desmond? You think this ends here? Arthur isn't a prisoner. He’s the architect!"
Desmond froze. Sadi looked up, her fingers still digging into Vivienne’s flesh.
"What did you say?" Desmond’s voice was dangerously low.
"He faked his death because he knew the Latitudes were coming to liquidate the Gallagher line," Vivienne spat, her eyes gleaming with manic triumph. "He partnered with me! We built the Sovereign Ledger together! But he grew soft. He wanted to hide Sadi away. He wanted to spare you! I merely took the reins when his heart began to fail. If you kill me, the automated system releases the neural virus into his chamber within six hours. You have four hours to cross the Atlantic, Gallagher. You won't make it."
Desmond didn't flinch. He looked down at his watch.
"Leo," Desmond said.
"Sir?"
"Call the air base at Travis. Tell General Vance that Desmond Gallagher is calling in the 1994 debt. We need the SR-71 Blackbird variant or the hypersonic transport fueled on the tarmac in fifteen minutes."
Leo’s eyes widened. "Boss, that’s military treason—"
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"Do it!" Desmond roared. He then looked down at Vivienne. "And strap her into the cargo hold. If my father dies in that vault, she will be buried alive in the same box."
***
