Chapter 2 - The Traitor Inside
The radio slipped from my grip as the betrayal washed over me. Marcus had been my head of security for five years. He knew the codes to every door and the blind spots of every camera on the estate. I fired two shots into the hallway, dropping the first of Moretti's men who rushed through the smoke. I turned and sprinted down the secret corridor after Maria and Sofia. The walls shook as explosions echoed from the upper floors of the mansion. I caught up to them just as Maria was struggling to open the heavy steel door of the panic room. "We cannot stay here," I told her, grabbing her arm. "Marcus knows the override codes for the safe room." "It will become a steel tomb if we lock ourselves inside." Sofia began to cry, burying her face against her mother's shoulder. "Where do we go?" Maria asked in sheer panic. "There is an old smuggling tunnel beneath the wine cellar that leads to the woods," I explained. I led them down the spiraling stone staircase into the dark depths of the estate. The smell of aged oak and damp earth filled the air. We moved silently between the massive wooden barrels. I pushed a hidden brick in the wall, revealing a narrow dirt passageway. "Go," I urged, pushing them gently into the dark tunnel. I turned back to secure the hidden door, but a bright flashlight beam hit my face. Marcus stood at the bottom of the stairs with his weapon drawn. "You always were too sentimental, Boss," Marcus sneered. "I am going to enjoy spending your money." He raised his gun, aiming directly at my chest. I threw myself to the floor just as his bullet shattered the wine barrel behind me. Red wine poured over the stone floor like thick blood. I fired blindly from the ground, hitting Marcus in the knee. He screamed and collapsed, dropping his weapon in the spreading puddle of wine. I walked over to him and kicked his gun away. "Why did you betray me for Moretti?" I demanded. Marcus laughed, coughing up blood as he looked up at me. "You think Moretti is paying me to kill you?" he wheezed. "Moretti does not care about you at all, Daniel." "He paid me a fortune to bring him the little girl."
