Chapter 4 - The Weight of Truth
The snow packed into the collars of their jackets, melting against their skin before freezing all over again. Marcus lunged forward, throwing a heavy punch that clipped Nathan’s jaw, sending a flash of white-hot pain through the surgeon's teeth.
"You think you're a savior, Nathan?" Marcus sneered, pinning Nathan's arm into the drift. "Sarah didn't run from me because I was a monster. She ran because she couldn't handle the truth of what we were building. She stole my work. She stole my future!"
"Your work?" Nathan choked out, struggling against Marcus's iron grip. "You mean the illegal medical trials you tried to cover up?"
Marcus laughed, a harsh, humorless sound that cut through the wind. "Science requires sacrifice, Nathan. You of all people should know that. A few test subjects in the private labs don't matter when you're unlocking the next stage of human cellular regeneration. But Sarah got cold feet. She took the data. And she took my children."
Nathan saw red. The clinical detachment shattered completely. With a surge of adrenaline born from pure fury, he brought his knee up, striking Marcus in the ribs. The man grunted, his grip loosening for a split second. That was all Nathan needed. He rolled to the side, grabbing a handful of hard-packed ice and driving it directly into Marcus's face.
As Marcus staggered back, clutching his bleeding nose, the front door of the mansion clicked open.
Rosa stood in the doorway, wrapped in a heavy wool shawl, holding a heavy-duty medical flare gun. She didn't hesitate. She aimed it straight up into the sky and pulled the trigger.
WHOOSH.
A blinding, brilliant red light shot up into the heavy clouds, illuminating the entire mountain peak in a fiery crimson glow. The flare cast long, distorted shadows across the snow, making the desolate landscape look like a war zone.
"The state police and mountain rescue automated beacon has been triggered," Rosa called out, her voice remarkably steady. "The signal went through before your little toy jammed the local tower, Kane. They’re five minutes out."
Marcus wiped the blood from his lip, his eyes darting from the glowing red flare in the sky back to Nathan, who was slowly rising to his feet, holding the steel clamps like a weapon. Marcus realized the math had changed. He couldn't afford to be found here by authorities—not with the federal inquiries already circling his corporate shell companies.
"This isn't over, Nathan," Marcus spat, backing slowly toward his damaged SUV. "The custody papers are legally binding in three states. I'll have those kids back before the week is out."
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"Try it," Nathan said quietly, his voice carrying an absolute, unshakeable finality. "And next time, I won't just use water."
Marcus dove into his vehicle, slammed the door, and threw the SUV into reverse. Tires spinning wildly on the ice, the black truck fishtailed before righting itself and roaring down the mountain road, disappearing into the whiteout just as the distant wail of sirens began to echo up the valley.
