Chapter 6 - A Fire in the Snow
Ten minutes later, the lights across the Lake Forest estate went completely black as Marcus’s team cut the main power lines. The heavy silence of the snowy night was shattered by the distant sound of glass breaking in the east wing.
I stood in the darkened grand foyer, holding my weapon low, hidden behind the wide marble staircase. Emma was positioned above me on the landing, providing a high-angle cover position.
Footsteps echoed across the marble floor—heavy, tactical boots. Four armed men in tactical gear glided through the front entryway, their rifle flashlights cutting through the darkness. Behind them stepped Marcus, wearing a heavy overcoat, holding a silenced pistol in his hand.
"Search the ground floor!" Marcus hissed to his men. "Find the basement access! Burn every piece of paper in that safe, and if you find Hale or the girl, put a bullet in their heads!"
"You always were lousy at doing your own dirty work, Marcus," my voice echoed through the dark foyer, deep and thunderous.
Marcus froze, spinning toward the staircase. "Preston!"
"Clear!" Marcus shouted to his mercenaries. "Kill him!"
Before the first mercenary could raise his rifle, a sharp gunblast echoed from the upper landing. Emma fired with deadly precision, taking down the lead shooter instantly.
The remaining mercenaries opened fire toward the staircase, plaster exploding into white dust. I stepped out from behind the marble pillar, firing three rapid shots, neutralizing two more of Marcus’s men before they could adjust their aim.
Vance and my internal security detail burst through the side doors, surrounding the foyer. Within thirty seconds, the gunfire ceased. The mercenaries lay motionless on the floor, and Marcus dropped his gun, collapsing to his knees in the middle of the shattered marble room.
The emergency backup lights flickered on, casting a dim, orange glow over the scene.
I walked slowly down the stairs, stepping over the debris, and stopped in front of Marcus. He was trembling, sweating profusely despite the freezing air coming through the broken front door.
"Preston... please," Marcus begged, raising his hands. "It wasn't just me! I was forced into it! Julian Vance’s syndicate—they threatened my family! They made me use the docks!"
"You had a choice, Marcus," I said, my voice cold as ice. "You could have come to me. Instead, you chose to ambush my wife’s car on Route 41. You took Oliver's mother away from him."
Marcus looked up, tears of panic streaming down his face. "I didn't want to kill her! She wouldn't stop digging! She was going to ruin everything!"
From the top of the stairs, Emma walked down slowly, her white wedding dress stained with grey drywall dust and soot, the gun still held steady in her hand.
"She was a better person than you could ever dream of being," Emma said, stopping beside me, looking down at the man who had torn her family apart.
Marcus looked at her, horror dawning on his face as he realized the truth. "You... you aren't just some maid... You're her..."
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"Vance," I commanded, turning my back on Marcus. "Call the federal authorities. Hand over all the physical ledgers from the safe, along with Marcus. Make sure he spends the rest of his miserable life in a maximum-security cell."
"With pleasure, boss," Vance said, hauling Marcus up by his collar and dragging him out into the snow, where the sirens of approaching law enforcement were already wailing in the distance.
