Chapter 5 - The Siege
The bright flashing lights of the police cruisers cast long, terrifying shadows across the living room walls.
Mateo realized with absolute horror that his own biological son had completely sold him out to the devil.
He looked desperately at Lucas, silently begging the young man to realize the massive mistake he had just made.
Sheriff Davies continued to shout orders through a loud megaphone directly from the front porch.
The corrupt lawman boldly commanded his deputies to break the windows and prepare to breach the house.
Elena grabbed Mateo's arm frantically, her entire body shaking with an uncontrollable, paralyzing fear.
She whispered that they had to surrender immediately before the violent deputies slaughtered them all.
Mateo firmly shook his head, knowing perfectly well that Davies had absolutely no intention of taking prisoners tonight.
He knew the Sheriff only wanted to ensure the dark secrets in the ledger were buried forever alongside their dead bodies.
Mateo warned his son with a calm, terrifying certainty that the Sheriff was going to kill him too.
Lucas simply scoffed loudly and stubbornly refused to lower his heavy revolver.
He foolishly believed that the signed property deed granted him absolute protection from the corrupt town elders.
Suddenly, the front windows shattered violently inward as heavily armed men smashed the glass with their rifle butts.
Tear gas canisters were thrown forcefully into the living room, immediately filling the air with a thick, burning white smoke.
Mateo grabbed Elena tightly by her waist and physically threw her down behind the heavy oak dining table.
He quickly crawled through the suffocating smoke and violently grabbed Lucas by the ankle.
He pulled the stubborn young man forcefully to the ground just as a hail of bullets ripped through the walls.
The deafening sound of continuous gunfire completely drowned out Elena's terrified screams.
Mateo blindly returned fire with his hunting rifle, desperately trying to keep the aggressive deputies entirely at bay.
He knew they could not possibly hold out for more than a few highly agonizing minutes.
The thick smoke burned their lungs terribly, and their vision was almost completely obscured.
Lucas was coughing violently on the floor, the stark reality of the Sheriff's brutal betrayal finally dawning on him.
The young man realized he had foolishly handed the ultimate power directly to the very men who murdered his uncle.
Mateo grabbed the ancient ledger from the floor and quickly shoved it deep inside his thick coat.
He yelled at Lucas to follow him closely as he began crawling frantically toward the kitchen pantry.
They reached the small, dark room just as the heavy front door was finally kicked completely off its hinges.
Mateo pushed a heavy wooden shelf entirely aside to reveal a hidden, rusted trapdoor in the floorboards.
He pulled it violently open and shoved Elena and Lucas down into the pitch-black darkness of the old storm cellar.
Before Mateo could climb down himself, a massive, heavy boot stomped down incredibly hard onto his bleeding hand.
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Sheriff Davies stood towering over him, aiming a massive shotgun directly at Mateo's completely unprotected face.
The Sheriff smiled viciously and declared that it was finally time to harvest what had been sown.
