Chapter 5 - The Rival's Strike
Alexander tackled Emma to the floor just as a hail of bullets shredded his mahogany desk.
He drew his weapon with blinding speed and fired two perfect shots into the mercenary's chest.
The assassin dropped completely dead onto the ruined Persian rug.
Deafening alarms blared aggressively throughout the massive, sprawling estate.
"The Kovacs are breaching the perimeter!" Alexander yelled over the chaotic noise.
He grabbed Emma's hand and pulled her roughly to her feet.
"Where is Lily?" she screamed, absolute terror gripping her racing heart.
"My men have standing orders to secure the children in the underground panic room," he promised her.
They sprinted down the dark, smoky hallway, dodging bullets from invading mercenaries.
Alexander fought like a cornered demon, ruthlessly eliminating anyone who stood in their path.
They finally reached the heavily armored basement door and slipped inside the secure bunker.
Lily was crying in the corner, safely surrounded by three of Alexander's most elite guards.
Emma fell to her knees and pulled her terrified daughter into a desperate, crushing hug.
Alexander locked the massive steel vault door, temporarily sealing them away from the violent war above.
"We are safe here until my reinforcements arrive from the city," he assured them, checking his ammunition.
Emma rocked her daughter gently, praying that this nightmare would end soon.
Suddenly, her cell phone vibrated violently in her pocket.
She pulled it out and saw a video call from her sister, Melanie.
She answered it frantically, expecting to see Melanie safely hiding in another part of the mansion.
Instead, the screen showed Melanie tied to a metal chair in a dark, unfamiliar warehouse.
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A terrifying man with a thick Russian accent stepped into the camera frame and smiled wickedly.
"Bring the evidence your dead husband stole, Emma, or I will slowly skin your lovely sister alive," the Kovac boss threatened.
