Chapter 15 - The Siege of the Vale Estate
Back at the estate, the silence of the night was shattered by the sound of explosive breaching charges detonating at the western gate. The power immediately failed, plunging the house into darkness, just as the signal jammer had predicted.
Inside the master bedroom, Seraphina didn't scream. She had spent a year learning how to be strong, how to fire a weapon, and how to navigate the secret escape tunnels Ronan had built into the foundation of the old house.
"Marcus! Ethan!" she called out through the darkness, her voice commanding.
Ethan burst into the room, his night-vision goggles pushed up. "They’re through the perimeter, Mrs. Vale. There are at least twenty of them. Marcus is holding the grand staircase, but we need to move you and the kids to the panic room now."
Seraphina gathered the two young children, holding them close against her chest as they hurried down the hidden service corridor behind the library bookshelf. The sounds of heavy gunfire and shattering glass echoed through the elegant halls, tearing apart the beautiful white oak and light linen decor they had spent a year creating.
Suddenly, a smoke grenade rolled down the hallway, filling the confined space with thick, choking gray gas. Seraphina coughed, her eyes burning. In the confusion, a heavy boot kicked open the side door, and a mercenary grabbed Liam, the youngest child, pulling him away from Seraphina's grip.
"Mommy!" Liam screamed.
Seraphina’s maternal instincts overrode every ounce of fear. She reached into her dress, pulling out the small, compact pistol Ronan had taught her to use. Without hesitation, she aimed through the smoke and fired twice. The mercenary dropped to the floor, releasing the boy.
Ethan cleared the rest of the hallway, shooting down two more attackers. They reached the heavy steel door of the panic room, sealing themselves inside just as a massive explosion rocked the upper floor of the estate.
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Safe inside the reinforced concrete bunker, Seraphina checked the children for injuries, her hands shaking but her resolve unbroken. She looked at the security monitors, which were powered by an independent generator. The screens showed Marcus fighting valiantly, but he was outnumbered.
"Ronan," she whispered to the empty room, looking at the digital clock on the wall. "Please tell me you’re alive."
