Chapter 9 - The Siege
The sound of shattering glass from the upper floors of the house confirmed Brent's terrified warning.
Heavy, violent footsteps began stomping across the hardwood floors directly above our heads.
My mother dropped her arrogant facade instantly, her face turning a sickly shade of gray.
She backed away from the cellar doors, her hands trembling so violently she nearly dropped her weapon.
I realized the syndicate thugs were tearing the house apart looking for her.
I pulled Emma and Noah deeper into the darkest corner of the basement, hiding them behind a stack of old wardrobes.
I whispered to them to keep their eyes closed and cover their ears no matter what they heard.
The basement door leading to the main house was suddenly kicked with tremendous force.
The wood splintered, and the door hinges groaned in protest.
My mother raised her gun toward the doorway, tears of absolute terror streaming down her face.
She begged me to help her, promising she would confess to everything if we survived.
I simply stared at her, feeling a profound and cold detachment from her impending doom.
The door finally gave way, crashing into the basement with a cloud of dust and debris.
Three massive men in dark clothing stepped into the basement, holding suppressed automatic weapons.
They completely ignored me and walked straight toward my trembling mother.
The lead thug snatched the handgun from her weak grip and struck her across the face, sending her crashing to the concrete floor.
He coldly informed her that her time was up, and they were taking her to see their boss.
I held my breath, praying they would just take her and leave us alone.
The thug dragged my mother up the stairs by her hair, her screams echoing terribly in the small space.
Just as the last man turned to follow them, he stopped and looked directly into the dark corner where I was hiding.
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He slowly pulled a thick, sealed envelope from his jacket and tossed it onto the floor at my feet.
He smiled beneath his mask and said, "Your father says hello."
