Chapter 3 - The Broken Silence
A massive explosion shook the entire foundation of the mansion.
The blast threw me to the floor, and I wrapped my body tightly around Lily to protect her.
Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling as the emergency lights flickered on.
"Are you hurt?" Marcus yelled over the ringing in my ears.
"We are okay," I coughed, checking Lily for any injuries.
Lily was crying silently, her tiny hands gripping my shirt.
Marcus helped me to my feet, his eyes scanning the cracked concrete walls.
"That explosion wasn't meant to kill us," he realized.
"It was a breaching charge to blow the electronic locks off the vault down the hall," he explained.
The camera feeds on the monitors were now completely dead, filled with static.
"What is in the vault?" I asked.
"Enough unregistered diamonds to fund a small army," Marcus admitted.
We heard the heavy footsteps of tactical boots echoing down the hallway.
They were getting closer to the security room.
"We have to hide," I panicked, looking around the small space.
"There is nowhere to hide in here, Sarah," Marcus said calmly.
He walked over to a metal cabinet and opened the bottom drawer.
He pulled out a heavy, matte-black handgun and checked the magazine.
"I am not going to let them hurt you or your daughter," he promised.
He stood in front of the door, aiming the weapon directly at the center of the metal frame.
The handle began to jiggle violently from the other side.
"Get behind the desk and keep your head down," Marcus ordered me.
I scrambled behind the heavy oak desk, pulling Lily into my lap.
Sparks began to fly as a blowtorch cut through the door's hinges.
The metal groaned and twisted under immense pressure.
Suddenly, the heavy door was kicked inward, crashing onto the floor with a deafening bang.
Marcus fired two warning shots into the hallway.
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But the figure standing in the doorway wasn't a mercenary.
It was Marta, the head housekeeper, and she was holding an assault rifle.
