Chapter 7 - Sins of the Father
The red laser dots danced terrifyingly across Sophia's small dress.
Elena dropped to the floor, pulling her daughter underneath her body to shield her from the incoming fire.
Adrian raised his revolver and fired three rapid shots at the mercenaries.
One of the men dropped, grasping his wounded shoulder, but the others immediately returned fire.
Bullets tore through the expensive wallpaper and shredded the wooden doorframes all around them.
Titan barked furiously, darting into the study to avoid the hail of bullets.
"Into the office, now," Adrian yelled, grabbing Elena by the collar and dragging her backward.
They scrambled across the floor, leaving a trail of shattered glass and blood behind them.
Dante suddenly appeared from the opposite stairwell, laying down heavy covering fire with his assault rifle.
The unexpected suppression gave Adrian enough time to slam the heavy oak doors of the study shut.
He quickly turned the heavy deadbolt, though they all knew the wood wouldn't hold back military rifles for long.
"Give me the bear, Sophia," Adrian demanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Sophia looked up at her mother with tear-filled eyes, finally handing over her favorite toy.
Adrian pulled a pocket knife from his suit and mercilessly sliced the bear's stomach open.
He dug his fingers into the cotton stuffing and pulled out a small, metallic flash drive.
"Five hundred million dollars in untraceable crypto," Adrian said, staring at the tiny object.
Elena felt sick to her stomach, realizing her entire life had been a lie built on stolen money.
"We have to give it to them," Elena pleaded desperately.
"If we give them the money, they will leave us alone."
Adrian looked at her with pity and shook his head slowly.
"The Vargas cartel never leaves witnesses, Elena."
The sound of a heavy battering ram slammed against the study doors, splintering the oak.
"Stand back," Dante yelled, entering the room through a secret panel in the bookshelf.
He was bleeding from a cut above his eye, but his weapon was fully loaded.
Dante pressed a hidden button beneath the desk, and a section of the floor slowly slid open.
It revealed a dark, narrow staircase leading directly into the bedrock beneath the mansion.
"The panic room is at the bottom, but the biometric lock requires my uncorrupted blood," Adrian said, looking at his shaking hands.
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The study doors burst violently off their hinges, falling heavily into the room.
The lead mercenary stepped through the smoke and tossed a primed grenade perfectly into the center of the office.
