Chapter 3 - Fire and Retribution
The intruder team moved like professional shadows through the darkened ground floor of the mansion. Four heavily armed mercenaries clad in black tactical gear cleared the hallways, their suppressed weapons drawing quick, deadly engagements with Arthur’s estate guards.
Leading the team was Julianna Vance.
She had shed her luxury silk dress for dark tactical pants and a heavy leather jacket. Her dark hair was tied back, her eyes wide with a manic, unhinged fury. In her hand, she held a high-caliber revolver.
"Find the master server in the east study!" Julianna hissed to her lead mercenary, a scarred man named Lawson. "I want the drive containing the summer house surveillance logs! And find Arthur!"
"What about the kids and the maid?" Lawson growled, adjusting his night-vision goggles.
Julianna’s face twisted into a demonic sneer. "Burn them. Burn the whole house down once we have the drive. I’m not leaving a single trace of the Vance bloodline alive."
Suddenly, a blinding tactical spotlight cut through the darkness of the grand foyer!
"DROPPING WEAPONS NOW!" Marcus’s voice boomed over the estate’s emergency PA system!
TAK-TAK-TAK-TAK-TAK!
Automatic gunfire erupted instantly through the main hall! Two of Julianna’s mercenaries were caught in the crossfire, collapsing onto the marble floor as Arthur’s surviving security team engaged them from the second-floor balcony!
"FALL BACK TO THE EAST WING!" Lawson yelled, returning fire with his submachine gun as glass and wood splinters rained down like hail!
Julianna ducked behind a grand marble pillar, her breath ragged. She looked up toward the balcony and spotted Arthur firing a semi-automatic rifle with terrifying, military precision.
"Arthur!" Julianna shrieked over the deafening gunfire. "You ruined my life! I built your empire! I gave you six years of my youth!"
"You murdered my wife, Julianna!" Arthur’s voice echoed down from the darkness like thunder, cold and devoid of mercy. "You poisoned my sons' childhoods! You're going to pay for every second of pain you caused!"
BANG! BANG!
Arthur fired two rounds at the pillar, forcing Julianna to duck down as dust and stone chips sprayed into her hair.
Realizing she was outgunned in the main foyer, Julianna turned to Lawson. "Forget the server! The panic room is in the wine cellar! She took the boys down there!"
"The panic room is six inches of titanium, lady!" Lawson shouted, reloading his weapon. "We can't breach that without heavy explosives!"
"I don't need to breach it!" Julianna cackled hysterically, pulling a small remote device from her pocket. "The ventilation intake for the vault runs through the east wing basement! I brought chemical smoke canisters! We flood the air intake, and they will either suffocate inside or unlock the door to breathe!"
Lawson grinned wickedly. "Smart bitch. Move!"
They retreated down the narrow service hallway toward the basement stairwell, firing suppressing shots behind them.
From the balcony, Arthur saw Julianna heading toward the cellar levels. His heart stopped.
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"MARCUS! COVER ME!" Arthur roared.
Arthur didn't wait for backup. He vault over the stone railing of the second-floor balcony, landing heavily on the ground floor, and sprinted into the dark service hallway after the woman who was hunting his family.
