Chapter 3 - The Siege of Hudson Valley
The sound of shattering glass and heavy assault rifles echoed through the marble halls of the Vale mansion. Victor Moretti hadn't sent a subtle hit squad; he had dispatched twenty heavily armed mercenaries to wipe out Dominic Vale on his home turf.
Dominic descended the grand staircase two steps at a time, drawing his primary weapon. Bullets ripped through the floor-to-ceiling stained-glass windows of the grand foyer, sending thousands of colorful shards raining down like deadly hail.
"Suppressing fire! Hold the line!" Daniel roared, crouching behind a overturned marble table, returning fire with an assault rifle.
Two mercenaries clad in black tactical gear burst through the shattered front doors. Dominic fired three precise shots. The first mercenary dropped instantly; the second stumbled back before Marcus tackled him to the floor, driving a tactical knife into his chest.
"Where are they coming from?" Dominic demanded, sliding behind a stone pillar as bullet rounds chewed away at the marble inches from his head.
"They brought a ram!" Marcus yelled over the deafening noise. "They blew the outer gate with C4! Boss, they know our security blind spots—Nathan gave them the exact layout of our perimeter cameras!"
Dominic cursed under his breath. Nathan’s betrayal was still cutting deep, giving the enemy the upper hand.
"Marcus, take three men and secure the east wing!" Dominic ordered. "Daniel, cover the main hall! They're trying to force us into the basement!"
For twenty agonizing minutes, the Vale estate became a bloody battleground. Gunsmoke filled the air, thick and acrid, setting off the smoke alarms that wailed in a high-pitched frenzy. The grand paintings, priceless antiques, and centuries-old architecture were torn to shreds by lead and explosives.
Dominic moved like a phantom through his own home. He knew every dark corner, every secret passage, every shadow. He ambushed three mercenaries in the western gallery, dropping them before they even knew he was there.
But as the gunfire began to subside, a terrifying realization struck Dominic.
The attack on the front foyer was too noisy, too chaotic. It was a distraction.
"Daniel!" Dominic bellowed into his comms. "Where is the tactical breach coming from?"
"Front lawn is clear, Boss! We eliminated twelve of them, the rest are retreating to their vehicles!"
"No," Dominic whispered, his heart stopping. "They aren't retreating. They drew our guards down to the foyer."
Dominic turned and sprinted back up the stairs, his lungs burning, his heart hammering against his ribs like a sledgehammer.
He turned the corner into the guest corridor.
The heavy mahogany door to Mia’s suite was hanging off its hinges, blown open by a localized explosive charge.
"Mia!" Dominic screamed, barging into the room.
The room was destroyed. The wardrobe had been knocked over, revealing the open entrance to the panic closet. Two dead mercenaries lay on the Persian rug—one shot clean through the neck, proving Mia had used the gun he gave her.
But the room was empty.
Dominic rushed to the shattered balcony window overlooking the rear gardens.
Through the lingering smoke, he saw a black SUV speeding away through the broken rear gates. In the backseat window, he caught a brief, horrific glimpse of a silver bird pendant dangling from a gloved hand, and the terrified face of little Harper pressed against the glass.
Dominic’s world went black with rage.
"Boss!" Daniel rushed into the room, blood dripping from a cut on his forehead. "We cleared the house!"
May you like
Dominic turned around, his eyes blazing with a demonic, terrifying fury that made Daniel step back in fear.
"Get the cars," Dominic said, his voice dropping to a whisper that sounded like a promise of hell. "Bring Nathan out of the vault. It's time to end the Moretti family."
