Chapter 13 - The Burning Bridge
The blaring sound of the estate's perimeter alarms violently pierced the quiet night.
I wiped the blood from my chin and grabbed my emergency tactical vest from the hidden compartment behind the bookshelf.
Carlo had completely compromised our security system, meaning the impenetrable fortress I built was now a deadly trap.
I loaded my assault rifle and sprinted out of the study, intercepting Grace as she ran down the main staircase with Amara in her arms.
Amara was crying softly, burying her small face into Grace's neck.
"We have exactly two minutes before Carlo's tactical team breaches the front doors," I told Grace, handing her a spare magazine for her pistol.
We could not use the underground garage; Carlo knew the codes and would undoubtedly have heavily armed men waiting for us there.
Our only chance of survival was the old servant's passage leading to the botanical greenhouse in the backyard.
As we reached the heavy kitchen doors, the front windows of the mansion shattered under a barrage of automatic gunfire.
Mercenaries dressed in absolute black poured into the grand foyer, sweeping the rooms with military precision.
I threw a flashbang grenade into the hallway, shutting the kitchen door just as the blinding white light erupted.
"Run for the greenhouse, do not look back!" I shouted over the ringing in my ears.
We sprinted through the dark kitchen, bursting out the back door into the freezing, torrential rain.
The sprawling gardens offered very little cover, and I could hear the mercenaries shouting orders right behind us.
I turned around and laid down a heavy wall of suppressing fire, watching two of Carlo's men drop into the wet grass.
Grace kicked open the glass door of the greenhouse, pulling Amara inside the humid, overgrown sanctuary.
I followed closely behind, slamming the reinforced glass door shut and engaging the heavy steel lock.
But the greenhouse was a dead end, surrounded by high brick walls on all sides.
I walked over to a massive, antique stone planter in the center of the room and pushed it aside with all my strength.
Hidden beneath the dirt and stone was a rusted iron trapdoor leading to the city's old storm drain system.
I had installed it paranoia, and tonight, that paranoia was going to save my family's lives.
"Go down, quickly," I ordered, helping Grace and the child descend into the dark, echoing pipe.
Before I followed them, I pulled a small remote detonator from my tactical vest.
I had rigged the estate's main gas lines with C4 explosives for a worst-case scenario exactly like this one.
May you like
As Carlo's men began smashing their heavy rifles against the greenhouse glass, I looked back at the beautiful home I had built.
I pressed the red button, instantly turning the multi-million dollar mansion into a towering pillar of fire and ash.
