Chapter 10 - A New Dawn
The massive steel vault door slammed shut and locked into place exactly a microsecond before the rocket struck.
The deafening explosion shook the entire underground bunker violently, raining dust and concrete flakes from the ceiling.
Elena squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the fire to consume them, but the heat never came.
The reinforced titanium walls of the panic room easily absorbed the blast, leaving everyone inside bruised but entirely alive.
Absolute silence fell over the room, broken only by the sound of heavy, collective panting.
Dante checked the security monitors on the wall and let out a long, exhausted sigh of relief.
"The structural integrity is holding, and the estate's backup alarms have finally triggered the local police response," Dante announced.
On the screen, Elena could see the blue and red flashing lights of dozens of police cruisers swarming the driveway.
The surviving mercenaries quickly abandoned their mission, scrambling up the ropes to their escape helicopter.
It was finally over.
Three hours later, the police secured the mansion, and Dr. Reynolds was able to administer the proper medical treatment to Adrian.
The mafia boss sat on the bumper of an ambulance, looking remarkably healthy for a man who had nearly died twice.
Titan was resting his massive, heavy head gently in Sophia's lap while she stroked his dark ears.
Adrian looked at Elena, holding out a brand new, highly encrypted cell phone and a set of keys.
"The flash drive belongs to you, but if you stay with us, Dante and I will make sure nobody ever hunts you again," Adrian promised softly.
Elena looked at her daughter, safe and smiling with the giant dog, and finally nodded in agreement.
They were a strange family now, but they were protected, wealthy, and completely safe.
As the sun began to rise over the Boston skyline, Elena felt her new phone vibrate in her pocket.
She pulled it out and opened a text message sent from an unknown, blocked international number.
May you like
Attached was a high-resolution photograph of Elena and Sophia sitting in the ambulance right at this exact moment.
The text underneath simply read, "Did you really think I was dead, my love?"
