Chapter 2 - The Hallway Siege
The sound of Daniel’s voice—a fragile, breathy whisper—was instantly swallowed by a second volley of gunfire ripping through the corridor outside. The drywall near the doorframe shattered, showering the pristine tiles with white dust.
Gabriel’s paternal instincts slammed into overdrive. In a single fluid motion, he bypassed Elena’s broken mop handle, crossed the room, and pinned his body over Daniel's small form on the bed. His large, tattooed hand cupped the back of his son’s neck, shielding him from stray fragments.
"Stay down, Daniel. Papa’s here," Gabriel muttered, his voice dropping into a low, terrifyingly calm rhythm.
Holding the LineVincent Kane backed up against the heavy wooden door, his tactical pistol raised at a forty-five-degree angle. "Two shooters, boss. Automatic weapons. They're moving tactically from the western stairwell. Our men downstairs aren't picking up."
"They jammed the comms," Gabriel said, his eyes shifting to Elena.
She had dropped the broken mop handle, her hands now pressing firmly against the deep laceration on her shoulder. Her face was bloodless, but she hadn't panicked. Instead of running for the window or screaming, she had crawled to the other side of Daniel's bed, using her own body to shield the boy’s lower extremities.
"Can you move?" Gabriel demanded, looking directly into her brown eyes.
"I can move," Elena hissed through gritted teeth.
"Grab the medical monitor tower. Roll it in front of the door. Now."
Elena didn't hesitate. She dragged her bleeding body off the floor, gripped the heavy metal stand holding the telemetry equipment, and wedged it violently against the door handle just as a heavy boot slammed into the outside panels. The wood groaned, but held.
The Retaliation"Vincent, blind fire through the drywall, waist height. Flush them into the open," Gabriel commanded.
Vincent didn't ask questions. He let loose a rapid succession of five heavy-caliber rounds straight through the thin plaster wall. A wet, choked scream echoed from the hallway, followed by the heavy thud of a body crashing to the floor.
Gabriel spun around, pulled a secondary compact firearm from his ankle holster, and slid it across the floor toward Elena. "Know how to use it?"
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Elena stared at the cold, black metal resting near her blood-stained sneaker. "No."
"Point and squeeze," Gabriel said, his voice entirely devoid of fear. "If anyone who isn't me or Vincent breaks through that door, you empty it into them."
