CHAPTER 157
HARRY'S POV
The Swiss military helicopters arrived faster than I'd ever seen government forces respond to anything, their rotors churning the smoke from Skylar's explosion into violent whirlwinds that made visibility nearly impossible. But through the chaos, I could see her struggling to her feet in the center of the blast zone, alive but clearly shaken.
"Skylar!" I called through the comm, leading the group of rescued children toward the extraction point Lucas had marked in the catacombs. "Status report!"
"Still breathing, still pregnant, still really pissed off," her voice crackled back, strained but determined. "How are the kids?"
"All fifteen accounted for and moving to safety. But we've got bigger problems incoming."
Through the ancient monastery windows, I could see Henry's reinforcements deploying around the building's perimeter. Professional soldiers with military-grade equipment, taking positions that would turn any escape attempt into a slaughter.
But they were also being surrounded by Swiss federal forces who'd responded to Skylar's emergency broadcast. Within minutes, the monastery had become the center of a three-way standoff between Henry's mercenaries, legitimate military forces, and us.
"This is Commander Weber of the Swiss Federal Police," a voice boomed through loudspeakers. "All armed personnel are ordered to lay down weapons and surrender immediately."
"Not exactly helpful," Jax muttered as he guided the youngest of the rescued children through the narrow catacomb passages. "Swiss cops can't tell the difference between us and Henry's people."
"Can you blame them?" Lucas replied from his position covering our rear. "From their perspective, we're all armed criminals shooting up a historic monastery."
I could hear gunfire erupting outside as Henry's forces engaged with Swiss federal units. Professional soldiers against police officers who'd probably never faced military-trained opponents. It was going to be a massacre unless we did something to change the tactical situation.
"Skylar," I called into my comm, "we need to get you out of that courtyard before you get caught in the crossfire."
"Negative. I'm exactly where I need to be."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means Henry isn't going to retreat while I'm still here. He's invested too much in this operation to walk away empty-handed."
I could see what she was doing - using herself as bait to keep Henry's forces engaged while legitimate authorities arrived in force. It was tactically sound but personally horrifying, especially given her advanced pregnancy.
"That's not your call to make," I said firmly. "We're coming to get you."
"You're staying with those children until they're safely in Swiss custody. That's an order."
"Since when do you give me orders about protecting you?"
"Since I became pregnant with our daughter and realized that some things are more important than keeping me safe."
The logic was infuriating because it was completely correct. Those fifteen children needed protection, and we were the only ones in position to provide it. But every instinct I had was screaming at me to abandon the mission and get Skylar to safety.
"Harry," Agent Martinez's daughter appeared beside me, her young face streaked with tears but her voice steady. "That woman who's still fighting out there - she came for us, didn't she? She put herself in danger to save us."
"Yes," I said simply.
"Then we can't let her sacrifice be wasted. We have to make sure the other kids get out safely."
At twelve years old, Martinez's daughter had grasped something that my protective instincts were trying to deny: that love sometimes meant accepting terrible risks for the greater good.
"Lucas," I called into my comm, "how long to get all these kids through the tunnels to the extraction point?"
"Eight minutes if we move fast, twelve if we're careful."
"Move fast. Jax, take point. I'll cover the rear and monitor Skylar's situation."
As we began moving the children through passages that hadn't been used since World War II, I kept one eye on the tactical situation developing outside. Through cracked stone and ancient mortar, I could hear the distinctive whine of helicopter rotors, the sharp crack of precision rifle fire, and underneath it all, Henry's voice on loudspeakers trying to negotiate with Swiss authorities.
"This is a family matter," he was saying. "My granddaughter has been held against her will by international criminals. I'm simply attempting to rescue her."
"Lying bastard," I muttered.
"But a convincing one," Lucas replied grimly. "If the Swiss don't have access to our intelligence files, they might actually believe him."
"Which means Skylar could end up in Swiss custody while Henry claims legal guardianship."
The possibility hit me like ice water. Henry wasn't just planning to capture Skylar through force - he was positioning himself to claim her legally, using the confusion of the battle to present himself as a concerned grandfather rescuing his pregnant granddaughter from kidnappers.
"We need to get to her," I said, but before I could change direction, explosions began rocking the tunnels around us.
"Shaped charges," Jax called from ahead. "Someone's trying to collapse the escape routes."
"Henry," I realized. "He's not just trying to capture Skylar - he's trying to trap all of us underground."
The ancient stonework groaned and shifted around us as more explosions detonated above our heads. Dust and debris rained down on the terrified children, and I could hear structural supports beginning to fail.
"Move!" I shouted. "Everyone move now!"
We ran through collapsing tunnels with fifteen traumatized children, racing against cave-ins and structural failure while the battle raged above our heads. Behind us, I could hear sections of the tunnel system giving way, cutting off our retreat and forcing us toward whatever exit Henry had left available.
"It's another trap," Lucas said as we reached a junction where only one tunnel remained open. "He's herding us toward a specific location."
"Then we spring his trap and deal with the consequences," I replied. "Because the alternative is being buried alive with fifteen kids."
As we emerged from the catacombs into what looked like a natural cave system, I realized we weren't just escaping the monastery - we were being channeled toward a confrontation Henry had been planning all along.
"Harry," Skylar's voice came through my earpiece, weaker than before. "Where are you?"
"Underground, moving the kids to safety. What's your status?"
"Swiss forces have me in custody, but Henry's people are closing in. I think... I think he's got federal officials convinced that I'm the real criminal here."
"Can you hold out until we get there?"
"Not sure. Harry, if something happens to me, if Henry gets control..."
"Nothing's going to happen to you."
"Promise me something. Promise me you'll protect our daughter, even if it means walking away from everything else we've built."
The desperation in her voice made my chest tight with fear. "Skylar, we're all getting out of this. All of us."
But as we reached the cave entrance and saw the tactical situation waiting for us outside, I realized that Henry had orchestrated something far more sophisticated than a simple kidnapping.
He'd created a scenario where any choice we made would result in losing something we couldn't afford to lose.
And he was counting on our love for each other to make us choose badly.
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