Chapter 7 - The Breach
"Code Red. All internal security teams to the west gallery," Richard barked into his lapel comms device as he drew a heavy steel-reinforced tablet from the wall cradle, instantly pulling up the estate's internal schematic.
On the monitors, three black utility vans had rammed through the outer security gates, tearing the iron hinges completely off their masonry pillars. Armed men in matte-black tactical gear, wearing unmarked helmets and carrying suppressed submachine guns, swarmed across the manicured lawns toward the French doors of the west wing.
"Claire, take the twins and Noah down to the subterranean panic room immediately," Richard ordered, his voice ringing with absolute, unyielding authority. He unlocked the biometric wall safe behind the kitchen pantry and pulled out a sleek, military-grade Sig Sauer P320 pistol, checking the magazine with practiced coldness.
"Richard, no! We stay together," Claire protested, grabbing his arm, her face draining of all color.
"If they get into this house, their target isn't me—it's the boy," Richard said, staring straight into her eyes with a fierce, desperate intensity. "Go! Now! That's an order!"
A deafening crash echoed from the front foyer as heavy glass shattered. Shouts and the dull thud of combat boots resounded through the vaulted hallways. Private security guards were engaging the intruders, but the disciplined, professional precision of the attackers suggested they were dealing with elite private contractors—men who didn't care about collateral damage.
Noah slipped off his stool. He didn't look panicked. He looked remarkably calm, almost resigned, as if he had anticipated this exact moment from the very beginning.
"They won't find what they're looking for," Noah said softly.
"Stay behind me," Richard snapped, shoving the pistol holster onto his belt and grabbing Noah by the shoulder. "Move!"
They scrambled through the service corridor toward the reinforced elevator shaft that led deep into the bedrock beneath the mountain. Claire ushered Leo and Lila inside, her hands shaking so badly she could barely press the biometric sensor pad.
As the heavy steel doors began to slide shut, Richard caught a glimpse of movement down the hallway.
Two tactical operatives in black gear rounded the corner, their suppressed rifles raised.
Richard didn't hesitate. He raised his pistol and fired two rapid shots down the corridor, the deafening cracks echoing like thunder in the enclosed space. The lead operative stumbled, catching his shoulder on the mahogany wainscoting and dropping to one knee.
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"Close the door!" Richard roared.
The heavy steel doors slammed shut, sealing them off from the upper floors just as a burst of automatic gunfire chewed into the exterior wall where they had stood a second before.
