The Ultimate Choice
At dawn, the sound of screeching tires outside woke them. The motel was surrounded.
Julian checked his equipment, looking back at Clara with a calm, reassuring smile. He handed her a passport and a train ticket to Canada. "There’s a fire escape out the back. Take it and don't look back."
"I'm not leaving you, Julian!" Clara said, gripping his jacket.
"You have to," he murmured, urging her toward safety. "I'll hold them off. If we make it out of this alive, find me where we first met."
He turned, braced himself, and stepped into the hallway just as the first flashbang exploded.
