Chapter 26 - The Siege of the Cabin
In the freezing darkness of the Adirondack woods, Marcus and Eleanor were cornered inside the damp log cabin. The windows had been shattered by warning shots, the cold mountain wind howling through the broken glass, scattering old papers across the floor.
Two of Victoria’s mercenaries had breached the front door, their flashlights cutting through the dust, their boots heavy against the floorboards. Marcus stood in front of Eleanor, holding a rusty iron fire poker—a pathetic defense against automatic pistols, but he refused to step aside.
"Give us the ammunition can, counselor," the lead mercenary said, his face obscured by a black balaclava. "And the old lady stays alive. Otherwise, it’s a very long, cold winter up here, and bodies aren't found until the spring thaw."
Eleanor stepped out from behind Marcus, her head held high, her eyes defiant despite the tears of terror streaming down her wrinkled cheeks. "My husband died because of your employers. My family was humiliated. You can shoot me, young man, but the files have already been digitally scanned and transmitted to an off-site server. You are already holding a smoking gun that points directly at Victoria Vance."
The mercenary sneered, raising his weapon. "Nice try, old lady. But we have a signal jammer running within a two-mile radius. Nothing has left this mountain."
Before he could pull the trigger, the glass window behind him exploded completely.
A flashbang grenade detoned inside the living room with a deafening, blinding roar. The room filled with thick white smoke and a piercing sound that dropped the mercenaries to their knees, clutching their ears.
Through the shattered windows and doors came Emma’s veteran network—six men in tactical gear, moving with the lethal, synchronized precision of active-duty special forces. Within thirty seconds, Victoria’s four men were disarmed, zip-tied, and pinned to the floorboards.
May you like
The team leader, a burly veteran named Miller, lowered his weapon and walked over to Eleanor, offering her a respectful nod. "Captain Clark sent us, ma'am. She said to tell you that the Clark name is looking very good today."
Eleanor let out a long, shaky breath, her hand resting on the heavy ammunition can containing her husband's final legacy. "Thank you, Sergeant. Now, get us to an airport. My daughter is waiting for this."
