Chapter 5 - The Raid
The Bennett family estate was a massive fortress built on fifty acres of isolated woods.
Lucas sat in the back of the black SUV as his private security convoy sped down the dirt road toward the iron gates.
He loaded a heavy pistol, checking the safety mechanism with practiced precision.
He was a businessman, but tonight, he was fully prepared to become a monster.
Marcus sat beside him, tapping a digital map of the estate on his glowing tablet.
"They have armed guards at the perimeter, boss," Marcus warned.
"Run them down," Lucas commanded without a second of hesitation.
The lead SUV slammed through the wrought-iron gates, tearing them completely off their hinges.
Alarms wailed into the night sky as Lucas’s men flooded the manicured lawns.
Gunfire cracked in the distance as Marcus’s tactical team neutralized Margaret’s private security.
Lucas didn't wait for the area to be cleared.
He kicked the massive oak front doors open and marched into the grand foyer of his childhood home.
His mother was standing at the top of the sweeping marble staircase, sipping a glass of red wine.
She looked completely unbothered by the violence happening outside her windows.
"You always were too dramatic, Lucas," Margaret sighed, swirling the wine in her glass.
"Where is she?" Lucas demanded, raising the gun and pointing it directly at his mother’s chest.
Margaret actually smiled, a chilling, triumphant expression.
"She is in the basement medical wing," Margaret said calmly.
"But you are already too late."
Lucas didn't waste another second listening to her venomous voice.
He sprinted down the hallway and threw open the heavy door leading to the underground bunker.
He rushed down the concrete stairs, his boots echoing loudly in the damp silence.
He found Emma lying on a surgical table, hooked up to dozens of beeping machines.
She was unconscious, her face completely drained of color.
Lucas rushed to her side, grabbing her cold hand and begging her to wake up.
Then he looked down at her stomach.
The white hospital gown was completely flat.
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He spun around wildly, looking for a crib, an incubator, or any sign of his child.
The room was entirely empty.
