THE IRON THRESHOLD

Chapter 9: The Siege of Ivy’s Apartment

Julian drove like a madman, his car screaming as he drifted around the corners of the university district. He didn't care about the police. He didn't care about the secrets.

He reached Ivy’s building just as a black SUV pulled up to the curb. Three men in suits—Sentinels—stepped out. They didn't look like thugs; they looked like federal agents. That was the Bastion's power: they were invisible because they looked like the establishment.

Julian didn't have his gear. He didn't have his baton. He had nothing but the iron pipe from the motel and a sheer, desperate rage.

He intercepted them in the lobby. The fight was brutal and short. Julian fought with a savagery that shocked even the Sentinels. He used the environment—the glass coffee table, the heavy brass planters—to even the odds. He took a punch that broke his nose, but he didn't stop until all three were on the ground.

He took a radio from one of their belts. "Miller," he spat into the receiver. "If you touch her, I will take the Ledger to the police. I will take it to the press. I will burn the Bastion to the ground."

"You’re emotional, 04," Miller’s voice came back, smooth as silk. "And emotional men make mistakes. Look behind you."

Julian turned. At the end of the hallway, Ivy was standing by the elevator, her phone in her hand, her eyes wide with terror. But she wasn't looking at the Sentinels. She was looking at the red laser dot centered directly on Julian’s chest.

A sniper was across the street.

"One word, Julian," Miller whispered over the radio. "Choose. Her life, or your return."