Chapter 2 - The Burning Cage
The overwhelming stench of high-octane fuel rapidly fills the sealed dining room.
Hadrian clutches Sorrel tighter against his chest, shielding her face from the toxic fumes.
The Fiancée wipes a smear of rich gravy from her cheek, her eyes completely unhinged and wild.
"If I cannot have the inheritance, neither of you will survive to spend a single dime of it."
Liquid fire begins to pour from the overhead ventilation grates, instantly igniting the expensive rugs.
Hadrian frantically scans the barricaded room for any possible exit or weakness in the structure.
The reinforced steel shutters over the windows are designed to withstand a military siege.
He kicks a heavy solid oak chair against the nearest metal barrier with all his might.
The chair splinters into pieces, bouncing off without leaving even a single scratch on the steel.
The Fiancée steps backward into a hidden wall panel that suddenly slides open with a mechanical hiss.
"Goodbye, my love," she whispers with a psychotic smile as the panel seals her safely away into a panic room.
Flames erupt from the air conditioning vents, aggressively licking the imported silk wallpaper.
Hadrian spots a decorative antique battle axe mounted on the far wall display.
He sprints through the growing inferno and pulls the heavy weapon from its mounting brackets.
He swings it with every ounce of his strength against the thick steel locking mechanism of the main door.
A shower of bright yellow sparks erupts as the metal groans under the immense pressure.
The fire spreads incredibly fast, singeing the edges of his dark trench coat.
He swings again, shattering the electronic deadbolt into a million useless pieces.
He wraps his thick coat tightly around Sorrel and kicks the heavy mahogany door open.
They dive through the doorway, rolling violently onto the cold, damp grass of the estate lawn.
Sirens wail in the distance, growing louder and more chaotic by the second.
Hadrian takes a deep breath of fresh air and looks down at Sorrel's wrist to check the crucial smartwatch.
The screen is cracked, completely black, and unresponsive to his frantic taps.
Three heavily armored police cruisers smash through the front gates before he can try to fix it.
Instead of rushing to help the victims, six officers draw their service weapons and aim them directly at Hadrian's head.
A laser sight dances across his chest, settling directly over his racing heart.
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The lead officer steps forward, his finger resting dangerously on the trigger of his rifle.
"Get on the ground right now, or I will put a bullet in your skull!"
