Chapter 5 - Fire in the Courtyard
The sound of shattering glass from the grand conservatory shattered the quiet of the Marchetti estate.
Footsteps—heavy, boots on marble—rushed down the corridor outside the map room. Derek Shaw moved with lethal efficiency, sliding behind a marble pillar near the doorway, his weapon raised.
Adeline stood beside Enzo near the server rack, the heavy black coat still draped over her shoulders, her grip firm on the Sig Sauer.
"They're outside," Derek whispered, his finger tightening on the trigger.
The wooden door of the map room didn't just open; it exploded inward as a heavy breaching charge blew the deadbolts clear through the frame. Smoke and splinters filled the air.
Through the haze, three armed men in black tactical gear surged into the room, their assault rifles raised.
They didn't even have time to acquire targets.
Derek fired twice with practiced precision, dropping the lead operative instantly. At the same time, Adeline stepped out from behind the server rack and squeezed the trigger, her bullet catching the second operative’s shoulder, spinning him around before he crashed against the oak bookshelves.
The third man raised his rifle toward Enzo, but Enzo was already moving—a blur of violence and speed. He closed the distance in a heartbeat, grabbing the barrel of the rifle, deflecting it upward, and delivering a brutal strike to the man’s jaw that sent him crashing unconscious to the floor.
Silence descended upon the room once more, broken only by the hiss of the damaged server fans and the groans of the wounded mercenaries.
Enzo lowered his fists, not a hair out of place, though a smear of carbon ash marked his white shirt. He turned to Adeline, checking her over with a sharp, assessing gaze.
"You handled that weapon like a veteran," Enzo noted.
"My father taught me how to protect myself after the first death threats started," Adeline said, her breathing only slightly elevated as she lowered the safety on her pistol. "Looks like Judge Ashford’s cleanup crew was a little too eager."
Derek kicked the rifle away from the closest operative, tapping his earpiece. "Perimeter status, team?"
“All secondary teams neutralized the remaining breach units, boss,” the voice crackled back over the radio. “We’ve got two survivors in the courtyard. They’re singing like canaries. They were sent directly by Judge Ashford’s private security detail to retrieve the server and eliminate anyone in the eastern wing.”
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Enzo looked down at the encrypted flash drive still plugged into the server rack. He reached out, unplugged it, and handed it directly to Adeline.
"Keep that safe," Enzo instructed. "Because now we take the fight to them."
