Chapter 14 - The Shadow Syndicate
The heavy silence in the subterranean study was shattered by the deafening sound of gunfire as Maria instantly reacted to the lethal threat.
She did not hesitate, diving gracefully behind a massive oak desk while simultaneously firing two precise, suppressive shots toward the doorway. The leading mercenary grunted in pain as a bullet struck his armored shoulder, forcing the hit squad to momentarily retreat into the dark hallway.
"Daniel, get down!" Maria screamed, providing covering fire as the mercenaries blindly returned a hail of deadly bullets into the room.
I shoved the leather folder and the encrypted hard drives deep into my jacket, throwing my body flat against the cold stone floor. The antique books and wooden furniture were violently shredded by the incoming artillery, filling the air with thick, choking dust and flying splinters.
Maria expertly ejected her spent magazine and slammed a fresh one into her sidearm. She looked at me with fierce, calculating eyes, shouting that we were entirely pinned down and needed to create a massive diversion to survive.
I noticed a collection of antique, highly volatile kerosene lanterns resting on a display shelf near the barricaded door. I crawled on my stomach, ignoring the bullets whizzing inches above my head, and grabbed the heavy glass bottles.
I unscrewed the metal caps, letting the highly flammable liquid pour across the dry, dusty rugs near the entrance of the study. I pulled a silver lighter from my pocket, ignited the flame, and tossed it directly into the pooling kerosene.
A massive, roaring wall of fire instantly erupted, blocking the doorway and creating a thick, blinding curtain of black smoke.
The intense heat forced the mercenaries back, giving us a precious, three-second window of opportunity. Maria grabbed my arm, and we sprinted through the secondary servant’s passage hidden behind the rolling bookshelf.
We raced up the narrow, pitch-black spiral staircase, coughing violently as the smoke rapidly filled the enclosed space. We burst out into the attached garage, where an old, tarp-covered vintage sports car had sat untouched for nearly a decade.
I prayed the ancient engine still had a spark as I climbed into the driver's seat and frantically hotwired the ignition. The powerful V8 engine roared to life with a deafening, beautiful growl.
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Maria jumped into the passenger seat, pointing her weapon out the window just as the mercenaries smashed through the garage door behind us.
I slammed my foot on the accelerator, sending the heavy vintage car smashing directly through the wooden garage doors. We launched into the cool night air, the rear tires spinning wildly as we tore down the winding, treacherous mountain roads of the Hollywood Hills, leaving the burning, corrupt legacy of my father completely behind us in the flames.
