Chapter 5 - The Voss Estate
The orange fireball rolled into the night sky above the Voss property.
I slammed on the brakes, pulling the truck into a hidden dirt path in the woods.
I killed the engine and stepped out into the freezing air.
The smell of burning fuel drifted down the mountain.
They were destroying evidence.
I grabbed my bat and a heavy steel crowbar from my toolbox.
I moved silently through the dense pine trees, relying on decades of hunting experience.
The massive iron gates of the estate were heavily guarded by armed men.
I bypassed the main entrance completely.
I walked a mile along the perimeter fence until I found the old drainage tunnel.
It was covered in thick ivy, exactly as I remembered it from the construction days.
I used the crowbar to pry the rusted iron grate loose.
I crawled through the damp, narrow pipe for ten agonizing minutes.
I emerged inside the basement utility room of the main mansion.
The entire house was vibrating with chaotic energy.
Guards were shouting orders in the hallway above me.
I crept up the concrete stairs, keeping my breathing shallow and silent.
I peered through the small window of the basement door.
Two men were standing guard outside a heavy steel security room.
They were holding assault rifles and looking nervous.
I slowly opened the door, letting it creak just enough to draw their attention.
One guard stepped forward to investigate the noise in the dark stairwell.
I swung the crowbar out of the shadows, hitting him in the temple.
He dropped without making a sound.
The second guard raised his rifle, but I was already moving.
I threw the crowbar like a spear.
It hit him squarely in the chest, knocking him backward against the wall.
I rushed forward and finished him with a swift strike from the bat.
I grabbed the keycard from his belt and swiped it on the security door.
The heavy metal door clicked open, revealing a brightly lit interrogation room.
Claire was tied to a chair in the center of the room, her head slumped forward.
I dropped my weapons and ran to my daughter.
"Claire, I am here," I whispered, reaching for the ropes.
The figure in the chair suddenly raised its head and smiled.
It was not Claire.
It was a strange woman wearing a blonde wig.
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"Welcome to the party, Sam," a voice boomed through a hidden speaker.
The steel door violently slammed shut behind me, locking automatically.
