Chapter 4 - The Darkness
"The electronic deadbolt has been remotely engaged!" Frank yelled, kicking the heavy wooden door with his heavy boots.
The reinforced oak did not even budge under his massive strength.
The relentless machine-gun fire from the helicopter outside continued to tear the beautiful nursery to absolute shreds.
I crawled desperately through the thick smoke, searching the floor for my screaming son.
Emily appeared through the white haze, holding Noah securely against her chest with one arm.
In her other hand, she held a heavy tactical shotgun she had scavenged from one of my fallen security guards.
"Stand back!" she commanded, aiming the weapon directly at the electronic locking mechanism.
She fired a single, deafening slug that completely obliterated the expensive metal lock.
Frank kicked the splintered door open, and we spilled frantically out into the dark, echoing hallway.
The entire mansion was plunged into absolute darkness as the main power grid was suddenly severed.
Emergency red lights flickered on, casting a sinister, bloody glow across the expensive marble floors.
"They cut the power to disable the exterior security cameras," Frank growled, reloading his sidearm.
We ran rapidly toward the north wing, sliding on the slick floors in our desperate rush to survive.
Emily took point, sweeping the dark corners with the barrel of her shotgun like a seasoned veteran.
I kept myself firmly positioned between her and the windows, acting as a human shield for my precious son.
We finally reached the hidden entrance to the panic room, concealed behind a massive oil painting of my late father.
I placed my trembling thumb onto the glowing biometric scanner hidden in the wall panel.
The machine beeped angrily and flashed a bright red warning light.
"Access Denied," the automated voice echoed loudly in the quiet hallway.
I wiped the sweat from my thumb and pressed it frantically against the glass scanner again.
The machine rejected me a second time, locking the steel door securely in place.
Emily leaned closer to the small digital display screen to read the error message.
"The system has been manually overridden by a secondary administrator," she read aloud.
I stared at the screen in pure, unadulterated horror.
There was only one other person in the entire world who possessed the clearance to lock down my panic room.
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I turned around slowly to look at the man who had been my best friend for twenty years.
Frank was standing completely still, aiming his loaded weapon directly at my forehead.
