Chapter 4 - The Courthouse Siege
I kicked the cruiser's door open before the vehicle even came to a complete stop.
We ignored the heavily guarded front entrance and sprinted toward the underground parking garage.
Two corrupt deputies raised their weapons, but Hayes neutralized them instantly with non-lethal tranq darts.
We were not here to slaughter misguided cops, but we would not let them slow us down.
I led the team through the maintenance stairwell, climbing rapidly toward the judges' chambers.
The heavy steel doors on the fourth floor were already blown completely off their hinges.
Thick white smoke drifted lazily down the quiet, marble-lined hallway.
We moved in a tight diamond formation, covering every open doorway and blind corner.
I found the bodies of three deputies outside the main courtroom, all shot at close range.
Cameron Voss was not just a spoiled billionaire's son playing gangster.
He had brought highly trained professional killers into this building to clean up his own mess.
I pushed the heavy oak doors of the courtroom open, my rifle raised and ready.
The massive room was eerily quiet, illuminated only by the streetlights shining through the tall windows.
Sheriff Nathan Cole was slumped behind the judge's wooden bench.
His uniform was soaked in blood, and a single bullet hole marked the center of his forehead.
Sitting casually in the jury box was a young man in a tailored designer suit.
Cameron Voss smiled warmly at me, twirling a silver pistol around his finger.
"You made excellent time, Blake," he said, clapping his hands slowly.
"Where is Emily?" I demanded, keeping the sights of my rifle locked on his chest.
"The Sheriff wanted to return her to you, so I had to terminate his employment," Cameron laughed.
He pressed a small detonator in his hand, and the heavy courtroom doors slammed shut behind us.
A thick, transparent blast shield dropped over the windows, sealing the room completely.
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"I'll let you know where she is right after you burn to death," Cameron smiled.
He pulled a lever on the wall, and highly flammable gas began hissing from the ceiling vents.
