Chapter 8 - The Wife's Secret
"He took Leo back to our house," I whispered in horror, staring at the glowing red dot on the screen.
Sarah's jaw tightened, her hands checking the loaded magazines of her tactical assault rifle with mechanical precision.
Elias was using the psychological trauma of our violated home to throw us completely off balance.
We drove an unmarked rental car through our quiet neighborhood, parking two blocks away to avoid detection.
The street was eerily silent, the streetlights flickering against the dark, imposing silhouette of our ruined house.
We moved like shadows across the manicured lawns, stacking up silently against the shattered front door.
I held up three fingers, counting down silently before we breached the entryway in perfect, lethal synchronization.
The living room was completely empty, stripped of all furniture and bearing the chaotic scars of the initial ambush.
We moved methodically through the kitchen, checking corners with the ruthless efficiency of a highly trained kill team.
"The basement door is barricaded from the inside," Sarah whispered, pointing to the heavy steel deadbolts.
I pulled a small block of C4 explosive from my tactical vest, molding it carefully onto the door's locking mechanism.
I triggered the detonator, blowing the heavy door completely off its hinges in a massive cloud of dust.
We rushed down the wooden stairs, aiming our weapons directly into the dark, expansive basement.
Elias was standing in the center of the room, holding a heavy revolver pressed directly against Leo's trembling head.
Leo was tied to a chair, his face stained with tears, but he looked incredibly brave for a seven-year-old boy.
"Drop the weapons, Marcus, or the boy's brains decorate your lovely basement," Elias commanded coldly.
I slowly lowered my rifle to the floor, kicking it away with my boot to prove my compliance.
Sarah mirrored my actions, her eyes locked intensely on the man who had ordered our family's destruction.
Elias smiled arrogantly, motioning for his heavily armed mercenaries to step out from the dark corners of the room.
"Toss the server over, and I will consider letting your traitorous wife live," Elias demanded, holding out his free hand.
I reached into my pocket and tossed the glowing drive onto the concrete floor between us.
Elias eagerly bent down to retrieve the device, momentarily shifting his focus away from his hostage.
Sarah did not hesitate for a single microsecond.
She violently kicked a heavy paint can directly at the closest mercenary's face, instantly breaking his nose.
May you like
At the exact same moment, the supposedly terrified seven-year-old boy tied to the chair smiled wickedly.
The child suddenly morphed and dissolved into a complex, shimmering holographic projection, vanishing entirely into thin air.
