Chapter 5 - The Farm
Richard stared at the horrifying video feed of his terrified daughter, his blood turning completely to ice.
A mechanized voice crackled through the phone's speaker, addressing the dead mercenary.
"Status report on the cleanup, Team Alpha," the voice demanded impatiently.
Richard crushed the phone beneath his heavy boot, shattering the screen into a thousand useless pieces.
He had no time left to play games with the remaining mercenaries in the mansion.
He stepped out from behind the marble pillar and unleashed a relentless hail of suppressive fire down the hallway.
The sheer ferocity and precision of his attack overwhelmed the remaining tactical team completely.
Within sixty seconds, the grand foyer was entirely silent, littered with the bodies of Ethan's hired killers.
Richard quickly returned to the panic room and helped a trembling Sarah step out into the hallway.
"I need you to tell me exactly where the Farm is located," Richard commanded, his voice devoid of any emotion.
Sarah swallowed hard and gave him the address of an abandoned agricultural facility fifty miles outside the city limits.
Richard guided her safely out the back door and tossed her the keys to his old Ford truck.
"Drive straight to the FBI field office downtown and do not stop for anyone, not even local police," he ordered.
Sarah nodded tearfully, climbing into the truck and speeding away into the distance.
Richard turned his attention to the sleek, armored black SUVs left idling in the driveway by the dead mercenaries.
He climbed into the driver's seat of the lead vehicle and punched the accelerator completely to the floor.
He navigated the winding country roads with reckless, terrifying speed, letting his military instincts take complete control.
Fifty minutes later, the massive, imposing structure of the Farm loomed in the distance.
It looked like an ordinary, dilapidated grain silo surrounded by miles of empty fields and rusted barbed wire.
Richard parked the SUV half a mile away and approached the perimeter on foot, utilizing the tall grass for cover.
He effortlessly neutralized two perimeter guards, dragging their unconscious bodies deep into the brush.
He bypassed the electronic keypad on the heavy steel door by short-circuiting the magnetic lock with a tactical knife.
He stepped into the dark, cavernous interior of the silo, expecting to encounter heavy resistance immediately.
Instead, the massive facility was completely empty and eerily silent.
He cautiously moved toward the center of the room, spotting a single metal chair illuminated by a harsh overhead light.
Emily was no longer sitting in the chair, but her torn sweater was left resting on the seat.
A loud electronic chime echoed through the silent silo, and Ethan's voice boomed from the overhead speakers.
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"Drop your weapons, Colonel," Ethan commanded smoothly.
"The floor panel you are standing on is wired with a pressure plate, and if you move even a single inch, we both burn to ashes."
