Chapter 3 - The Fortress Walls
The heavy crash of the iron gates breaking echoed like a gunshot through the silent mountain.
Nathan shoved the plastic-wrapped envelope deep into the pocket of his blood-stained medical scrubs.
"Rosa, take the children to the secure basement immediately and lock the heavy steel door from the inside," Nathan commanded, his voice deadly calm.
Rosa did not argue or panic; she quickly scooped up the two infants while Nathan gently lifted the unconscious Lily.
He carried his niece quickly down the wooden stairs and placed her securely on the spare bed in the basement.
"Do not open this door for anyone except me, Rosa. Not even the police," Nathan warned her strictly.
He sprinted back up the stairs, locking the heavy deadbolt behind him.
Nathan was a brilliant surgeon, but he was also a man who fiercely protected his sanctuary.
He walked swiftly to his home office and unlocked a hidden biometric wall safe located behind a large painting.
He pulled out a heavy, matte-black shotgun and a box of tactical shells.
He loaded the weapon methodically, the familiar mechanical clicks grounding his racing mind.
Nathan walked quietly back into the dark kitchen and peered out the reinforced glass window.
The massive black SUV was parked aggressively across his front driveway, its engine idling loudly in the howling storm.
Two large men stepped out of the vehicle, completely ignoring the freezing snow.
One of the men was Marcus Kane, Sarah's husband.
Marcus was not wearing a winter coat; he was wearing a tactical vest and carrying a heavy crowbar.
The second man was completely unfamiliar, a massive brute wearing a dark ski mask.
Marcus walked directly up to the front porch and smashed the security camera with his crowbar.
Then, Marcus began pounding violently on the solid oak front door.
"Nathan! Open the door right now!" Marcus screamed over the raging wind. "I know my children are in there!"
Nathan stood perfectly still in the dark hallway, his finger resting lightly near the trigger of the shotgun.
"I called the police, Marcus," Nathan shouted through the heavy wood. "They are on their way."
Marcus laughed, a dark, terrifying sound that easily pierced the thick door.
"The police are not coming up this mountain tonight, Nathan," Marcus yelled confidently. "The main road is completely washed out, and the phone lines have been cut for miles."
Nathan looked down at his cell phone; the screen displayed a glaring red "No Service" warning.
He was entirely cut off from the outside world with two violent men trying to break into his home.
Marcus raised the heavy steel crowbar and swung it violently against the oak door.
The wood splintered loudly, but the reinforced steel core held perfectly firm.
"You cannot hide them from me, Nathan!" Marcus roared, swinging the crowbar again and again.
Nathan raised his shotgun, fully prepared to fire through the door if Marcus breached the final lock.
Suddenly, the second man in the ski mask grabbed Marcus's shoulder and pointed toward the side of the house.
The man pulled a small, metallic object from his tactical vest and tossed it casually through the kitchen window.
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The glass shattered inward, scattering dangerous shards entirely across the kitchen floor.
The small metallic canister rolled across the tile and immediately began hissing loudly, filling the entire room with thick, blinding white smoke.
