Chapter 8 - The Midnight Abduction Attempt
At eight-fifteen that evening, Julian’s private jet touched down smoothly on the rain-slicked runway of Midway International Airport.
The weather was stormy, thick fog rolling across the tarmac as our convoy of three armored black Cadillacs idled near the private hangar.
Lily was wide awake, sitting between Lady Beatrice and me in the rear passenger cabin, happily looking through a pop-up storybook about castles.
As our motorcade cleared the private perimeter gate onto the secluded airport access road, two heavy, customized dump trucks suddenly roared out of an industrial side lot.
The lead truck slammed into the front escort vehicle with bone-crushing momentum, sending the armored SUV spinning across the wet asphalt into the concrete barrier.
The second truck blocked the rear exit, boxing our vehicle in the narrow, two-lane industrial corridor beneath the highway overpass.
Six masked operatives in dark tactical windbreakers jumped from the truck beds, brandishing automatic carbines with high-powered flashlights.
“Keep your heads down on the floorboards!” Julian commanded, drawing his custom sidearm and shielding Lily and Beatrice with his broad frame.
The mercenaries opened fire, heavy-caliber rounds peppering the reinforced ballistic glass of our vehicle, leaving white spiderweb fractures but failing to penetrate the multi-layered titanium armor.
Before the attackers could deploy their breaching charges, the night sky above the overpass exploded in blinding white illumination.
Four black tactical helicopters from the Federal Bureau of Investigation descended through the fog, their powerful searchlights pinning the mercenaries in brilliant daylight.
Dozens of armed federal agents swarmed from unmarked tactical vans, flanking the ambush site with assault rifles raised in synchronized formation.
“FBI! Drop your weapons and get on the ground right now!” a booming voice roared through the tactical megaphones.
The mercenaries realized instantly that they had walked into an inescapable federal trap; they dropped their carbines onto the wet asphalt, raising their gloved hands into the air.
Special Agent Marcus Reed walked through the smoke, flashing his gold credentials as his officers pinned the attackers to the pavement with heavy steel restraints.
Agent Reed approached our vehicle, knocking gently on the driver’s window with a reassuring, professional smile.
“Mr. Thorne, Miss Thorne, the perimeter is completely secure,” Agent Reed reported.
“And a second tactical squad just breached Richard Sterling’s corporate penthouse five minutes ago.”
Julian lowered his weapon, letting out a deep breath of relief as he looked over at Lily, who was smiling bravely from beneath her cashmere blanket.
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“You see, little phoenix?” Julian said softly, gently tapping her nose.
“The bad men could never catch a star that shines as bright as you.”
