Chapter 4 - The Midnight Assault
Victor’s face turned to stone instantly. "Activate the lockdown protocols! Seal the main house!"
"Understood, sir!"
A low, metallic hum echoed through the mansion as heavy steel blast shutters dropped down over every ground-floor window and exterior door, sealing the fortress from the outside world.
"Claire, stay here with Sophie!" Victor commanded, pulling a small silver key from his pocket and unlocking a concealed cabinet near the nightstand, revealing a sleek compact firearm.
"Who is out there?!" Claire asked, pulling Sophie off the bed and holding the sleepy child tightly against her chest.
"Arthur Vance has nothing left to lose," Victor said grimly, checking the magazine of the weapon. "I destroyed his company two hours ago. Now he’s trying to destroy the evidence—which means he’s coming for Sophie's adoption files, and anyone who can testify against him."
BANG!
A loud explosion rocked the lower level of the mansion, making the crystal chandelier above them swing wildly. The lights flickered once, then died, plunging the suite into red emergency backup illumination.
The sound of gunfire echoed from the grand foyer downstairs—sharp, rapid pops followed by shouts from Victor’s private security detail.
"They breached the lower terrace!" Victor said, grabbing his phone. "The local state police precinct is ten minutes away, but Arthur’s men are already inside!"
"Victor!" Claire called out, her heart hammering in her chest. "We can't stay in this room! If they come up the main stairs, we're cornered!"
Victor looked at her, impressed by her quick tactical thinking despite her fear. "Follow me. There's a panic room behind the study."
They rushed out into the dim red hallway. The air was already beginning to smell of gunpowder and smoke from the lower level. Victor led the way, his weapon raised, his eyes scanning every corner with military precision.
As they reached the top of the grand staircase overlooking the foyer, two men in black tactical gear burst through the shattered front entrance below, holding suppressed submachine guns.
"Search the upper floor!" one of the gunmen barked into a radio. "Vance wants the girl and the mother secured! Kill the guards!"
Victor didn't hesitate. He leaned over the marble balustrade and fired three rapid shots. Both gunmen collapsed to the floor instantly, their weapons clattering against the marble tiles.
"Run!" Victor ordered, taking Claire's arm and pulling her down the west corridor toward his private study.
They burst into the study, a grand room lined with leather-bound books and heavy oak furniture. Victor hurried behind his massive desk, pressed a hidden button beneath the drawers, and a section of the bookshelf slid open with a soft metallic click, revealing a thick steel door.
"Get inside!" Victor told Claire, pushing her gently into the brightly lit, reinforced safe room.
"What about you?!" Claire demanded, holding the door open.
"I have to purge the central server in the main office," Victor said urgently. "If they get the physical server drive, they can erase the original clinic files and Moreau’s confession!"
"No! Victor, don't go out there!" Claire pleaded, grabbing his sleeve. "They'll kill you!"
"They won't kill me, Claire," Victor said, a dark, fierce smile appearing on his lips. "Because I'm the only one who knows where Arthur Vance’s offshore accounts are hidden."
He gently detached her fingers from his coat, stepped back, and hit the door control on the outside wall.
"Lock it from the inside!" Victor commanded as the heavy steel door began to slide shut.
"Victor!" Claire screamed as the door sealed completely, leaving her and Sophie inside the soundproof, climate-controlled safe room.
Claire sank to the floor, her back against the steel door, hugging Sophie in the quiet room. On the wall was a bank of security monitors showing live feeds from throughout the house.
Claire watched the screen showing the study outside.
Ten seconds later, the study door was kicked open. Three armed men rushed inside, followed by Arthur Vance himself, holding a weapon, his face twisted in psychotic desperation.
Victor stood behind his desk, completely unbothered, calmly holding a heavy glass of scotch in one hand and a remote detonator in the other.
On the security screen, Claire saw Arthur Vance raise his gun, pointing it straight at Victor’s heart.
"Where is the girl, Victor?!" Arthur screamed, his voice audible through the safe room’s audio monitor. "Where is the mother?!"
Victor took a slow sip of his scotch, looking Arthur up and down with absolute contempt.
"They're somewhere you will never touch them, Arthur," Victor said smoothly. "And you are standing in a room equipped with high-yield incendiary charges designed to destroy sensitive corporate data in the event of a hostile breach."
Arthur froze, his eyes widening in sheer terror as he looked down at the small red blinking light on the remote in Victor’s hand.
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"You're crazy..." Arthur whispered, his hands trembling. "You'd blow up your own house?!"
"I built this house, Arthur," Victor said softly, his finger hovering over the red button. "And I have no problem burning it to the ground with you inside it."
