Chapter 111: A Hail of Bullets
Frederick was deep in thought when Richard slammed on the brakes, the car screeching to a halt. Caught off guard, Claire nearly lurched into the front seat. Frederick reacted swiftly, gripping the handle of the backseat. “What’s going on?”
“General Hawthorne, there’s danger ahead,” Richard said, his eyes fixed on the road. No sooner had he spoken than a loud “bang” shattered the air. A bullet struck the front windshield.
“Ah!” Claire screamed instinctively. She had known being around Frederick would be dangerous, but the sudden reality of it left her unprepared. Since her release from prison, she had stayed by Frederick’s side under the pretense of being Caroline’s shield. But this was the first time she had actually faced life-threatening danger.
She took a shaky breath, trying to compose herself and sit upright. A barrage of gunfire erupted from all directions. Bullets pelted the car’s body, windows, and windshield in rapid succession. Claire instinctively covered her head and ducked to avoid the onslaught, her heart racing.
Frederick moved quickly, pressing her head down and shielding her as they crouched together. As the Prescott family heiress, Claire had lived a privileged life, untouched by real peril. Even in prison, she had only suffered from the bullying and torment of other women. But now, with bullets flying around her, it felt like she had been thrown onto a battlefield. In such a situation, no amount of fortitude could stop the wave of fear and panic overwhelming her.
Yet Frederick’s steady hand, firm against her neck, seemed to carry a strange magic. It wasn’t warm, but when it touched her, the sensation spread like a calming current, soothing her frantic heartbeat. She glanced up at him. In the confined space of the car, they were so close that everything else—the gunfire, the chaos—seemed to fade. For a brief moment, the world was silent. It felt like there were only the two of them in the world. Outside, bullets rained relentlessly, but inside, the air felt different. Warmer.
“Lock onto our position and send reinforcements immediately!” Richard’s urgent voice broke the spell. Claire snapped back to reality, realizing how lost she had been in the moment. There was a faint smile on her face. “It isn’t surprising,” she told herself. After all, she had once loved this man deeply.
She quickly shook off the thought. Fortunately, Frederick had chosen a military-grade bulletproof vehicle for today. Otherwise, the three of them would have been riddled with holes by now. Though they were in a sparsely populated suburban area, Frederick hadn’t expected anyone to have the audacity to attack here.
“Richard, get ready to draw their fire,” Frederick ordered. The gunfire eased for a moment, giving him just enough time to retrieve a pistol from his waistband. He loaded it with practiced efficiency, prepared to fight back. Staying inside the car was too risky. It made them easy targets, and the attackers showed no signs of relenting. The longer it dragged on, the worse it would get.
“Yes, General Hawthorne,” Richard replied, reaching for the car door to execute the plan. However, as soon as his hand moved, a sniper’s bullet struck his wrist. He cried out in pain.
“General Hawthorne, they’ve got a sniper!” Richard gritted his teeth and tore a strip from his shirt, tying it tightly around his arm to stop the bleeding. Frederick had a cold smile. “They’re pulling out all the stops just to take me down.”
Claire, now calmer, glanced at her bag. She pulled out a compact mirror and angled it toward the window to scout outside. Another shot rang out, aimed directly at the mirror. But the bulletproof glass held firm, and the mirror remained intact.
“The sniper’s at three o’clock,” she announced, putting the mirror away. Frederick turned to look at her, momentarily stunned. He didn’t expect she could assess the situation so quickly, pinpoint the sniper’s location, and remain composed under fire. He thought, “Is this really the same pampered Prescott heiress I have always known?”