Chapter 4 - The Hunt
Dominic scooped up the small wooden latch toy, his knuckles turning white as he gripped it tightly.
A terrifying, cold rage began to build deep within his chest, pushing aside his usual calculated calm.
He had promised to protect that innocent mother and child, and he refused to break that vow.
He stepped out of his ruined office and into the sprawling, dimly lit main hallway of the estate.
The mansion was eerily quiet now, save for the distant, intermittent popping sounds of suppressed gunfire.
He pulled his encrypted smartphone from his pocket and accessed the estate's hidden secondary camera network.
The primary feeds were destroyed, but the covert cameras hidden in the smoke detectors were still fully operational.
He scrolled rapidly through the grainy, black-and-white video feeds on his cracked screen.
He saw three heavily armed mercenaries systematically clearing the upstairs guest bedrooms on the east wing.
He flipped to the kitchen feed and felt a surge of hope when he saw a familiar, massive figure.
Vincent was bleeding heavily from his shoulder but was currently strangling a mercenary with his bare hands.
Dominic quickly switched the feed to the grand library, hoping to track the movements of the main assault team.
His breath caught in his throat when the grainy footage revealed a horrifying scene unfolding in the library.
A massive mercenary in heavy tactical gear was dragging a weeping Clare violently by her hair across the floor.
Clare was desperately clawing at the man's gloved hands, screaming for someone to help her find her baby.
Dominic realized with a jolt of panic that Ellie was not with her mother on the camera feed.
The brilliant little girl must have somehow slipped away and hidden herself during the initial chaotic ambush.
Dominic shoved the phone back into his pocket and began sprinting down the hallway toward the grand library.
He barely felt the strain on his injured knee as adrenaline flooded his system and deadened all pain.
He silently slipped through the heavy double doors of the library, melting into the deep shadows of the towering bookshelves.
The mercenary threw Clare roughly against a heavy leather reading chair, demanding to know where the hidden vault was located.
Clare sobbed hysterically, swearing that she was only a maid and knew absolutely nothing about any secret vaults.
The mercenary drew a large combat knife from his chest rig and pressed it cruelly against Clare's throat.
He promised to start cutting pieces off her if she did not produce the security codes within five seconds.
Dominic stepped out from the shadows of the bookshelves, raising the stolen pistol with lethal, unshaking precision.
He coldly told the mercenary to take his filthy hands off the woman immediately.
The mercenary spun around in surprise, raising his knife to throw it at Dominic's chest.
Dominic fired a single, perfect shot that hit the mercenary squarely right between the eyes.
The massive man crumpled heavily to the floor, dropping the combat knife uselessly beside him.
Clare screamed in shock, covering her ears as the gunshot echoed endlessly through the large, vaulted room.
Dominic rushed forward and pulled the terrified woman up from the floor, checking her quickly for serious injuries.
He asked her urgently where Ellie was and how she had managed to get separated from her.
Clare choked back a sob, explaining that a man in a black mask had grabbed them the moment they entered the office.
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She cried wildly, revealing that Ellie had bitten the man's hand and crawled away into the dark air vents.
A loud, metallic clatter suddenly echoed from the ventilation grate located directly above their heads.
