Chapter 364

Chapter 364:

Outside, the rain continued to pound the earth as lightning split the sky. Against the flashes, they could see silhouettes moving toward the lake, Rose’s final escape plan unfolding.

The countdown in the monitoring room reached its climax.

Inside the cabin, the first detonation charges began to blow.

The first explosion rocked the cabin, sending dust raining from the tunnel ceiling. Alexander and Stefan pressed forward, fighting against the urge to retreat. Behind them, the passage began to collapse.

“Move!” Alexander shouted as they burst through the exit into the stormy night. Rain hit their faces like tiny needles. The boathouse stood twenty yards away, its weathered blue paint visible in the lightning flashes. Two armed guards stood at the entrance, their attention fixed on the main cabin as it burned.

Alexander signaled to his team, spreading them into position around the clearing. Stefan crouched behind a fallen tree, his heart hammering against his ribs. From inside the boathouse, they could hear raised voices.

“The boat won’t start!” a man yelled.

“Fix it!” Rose’s voice, sharp with panic. “We need to leave now!”

Alexander caught Stefan’s eye, mouthing the words: “Three. Two. One.”

The team surged forward. The guards spun, raising their weapons, but Alexander’s men fired first, non-lethal rounds that dropped both men to the wet ground.

“Breach!” Alexander ordered.

The boathouse door splintered inward. Inside, the scene unfolded in chaotic snapshots:

Rose standing on a small dock.

A speedboat bobbing in the water.

Three more guards, weapons raised.

And Camille, her wrists bound, her face bruised, but her eyes fierce with defiance.

“Down!” Alexander shouted as gunfire erupted.

Stefan dove behind a stack of old barrels, the smell of long-ago fish bait stinging his nostrils. Alexander and his team returned fire, the space filling with the deafening crack of weapons and shouts of pain.

Through the chaos, Stefan saw Rose dragging Camille toward the boat. Camille fought back, making herself as difficult to move as possible, but she was weakened from captivity.

Without thinking, Stefan launched himself from behind the barrels. He stayed low, using the firefight as cover. Neither Alexander nor Rose noticed him skirting the edge of the dock, moving closer to where Rose struggled with Camille.

“Stop fighting me!” Rose hissed, yanking Camille’s arm. “This is your fault! It’s always your fault!”

Camille twisted, trying to break free. “It’s over, Rose. It’s been over for a long time.”

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