CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED - The Final Escape

"Stay down!" the agent shouted over the din of the firefight. "We'll get you out of here!" Ella huddled against the wall, Sophie trembling in her arms, her eyes searching desperately for Lucas. She caught glimpses of him in the melee, fighting alongside the FBI agents. The gunfight seemed to last an eternity, though in reality it was over in minutes. As the last shots faded away, Ella heard a familiar voice calling her name. "Ella! Sophie!" Lucas appeared around the corner, his face streaked with dirt and sweat but his eyes blazing with relief. He rushed to them, enveloping them both in a fierce embrace. "It's over," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "It's really over." As the dust settled, Agent Harris approached them, a tired but triumphant smile on his face. "We got them," he confirmed. "The leadership, the enforcers, all of them. You're safe now." The realization that their nightmare was finally ending washed over Ella in waves. She looked at Lucas, at Sophie, at t