Chapter 4 - The Breach at Dawn
"Code Red! Perimeter breach at the south gate!"
The estate's intercom system blared with the panicked voice of the chief security officer.
Vance’s reaction was instant. In a fraction of a second, the brooding, conflicted father vanished, replaced by a cold, deadly predator. He pulled open his desk drawer, drawing a sleek black semi-automatic handgun, racked the slide with a sharp metal click, and grabbed Loretta by the forearm.
"Stay behind me," he commanded, dragging her out of the study.
The hallway was in chaos. Armed security personnel in tactical vests were sprinting toward the grand foyer, drawing submachine guns, their heavy boots thundering on the marble floor. Outside, the sound of heavy gunfire erupted—automatic rifle fire tearing through the quiet night air, followed by the deep explosion of a grenade near the front gates.
"They brought heavy weapons!" a guard yelled as he sprinted past. "They rammed the gate with an armored truck!"
"Mrs. Gable!" Vance roared over the noise of gunfire.
The housekeeper appeared from the side corridor, her face pale with terror. "Mr. Vance!"
"Take Loretta and go to the panic room in the basement!" Vance ordered, shoving Loretta toward Mrs. Gable. "Now!"
"No!" Loretta screamed, grabbing Vance’s suit jacket. "Where is Leo? Where is my boy?"
"I am getting Leo!" Vance yelled, his gray eyes flashing with lethal intent. "Go to the basement!"
"I'm coming with you!"
Before Vance could argue, a violent explosion rocked the front of the mansion. The massive oak front doors splintered inward, shower of wood and shattered glass sweeping through the foyer. Dark figures clad in black tactical gear and Kevlar helmets swarmed through the smoke, firing bursts of automatic weapons into the ceiling and walls.
Vance didn't hesitate. Raising his pistol, he fired four controlled shots with terrifying precision. Three of the attackers crumpled to the floor instantly.
"Mrs. Gable, basement! Loretta, with me!" Vance yelled, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward the east wing stairs.
They sprinted up the wide marble staircase as bullets tore through the air around them, shattering antique vases and ripping priceless tapestries off the walls. Loretta’s heart pounded violently in her ears, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she kept pace with Vance.
They reached the east wing corridor just as two masked gunmen turned the corner from the balcony.
"Vance!" one gunman shouted, raising his rifle.
Loretta didn't think. She grabbed a heavy bronze statue from a side table and hurled it with all her strength at the gunman’s head. The heavy metal struck him square in the face, knocking him backward. Vance immediately stepped in, firing two shots into the second attacker, dropping him instantly, before spinning around and kicking the first gunman’s rifle out of his hands, finishing him with a single shot.
Loretta leaned against the wall, gasping for air, her bandaged hands shaking uncontrollably.
Vance glanced back at her, a look of grim respect flashing across his features. "Nice throw."
"Just get to Leo!" she choked out.
They kicked open the doors to Leo’s bedroom.
The room was empty. The wheelchair was flipped on its side near the bed.
"Leo!" Vance screamed, horror breaking through his cold composure. "Leo!"
"Dad!" a small voice whimpered from beneath the bed.
Loretta dropped to her hands and knees, pulling back the silk dust ruffle. Leo was curled into a ball in the corner beneath the bedframe, clutching his stuffed bear, crying uncontrollably.
"I've got you, baby, I've got you," Loretta sobbed, reaching beneath the frame, pulling his small body out into her arms, hugging him fiercely against her chest.
"We need to move, now!" Vance barked, reloading his pistol with a quick, practiced motion. "They’re cutting off the stairwells!"
He led them down a narrow service hallway behind the master bedroom, pushing open a hidden door behind a wooden panel. They descended a narrow, dark spiral staircase that led deep into the foundations of the estate.
The sound of gunfire above them was deafening now, the estate turning into a full-scale war zone. The Moretti family had launched an all-out assault, throwing dozens of heavily armed mercenaries against Vance’s house security.
At the bottom of the secret stairs, they emerged into a reinforced underground concrete tunnel lined with emergency lights and pipes.
"This tunnel leads to the boathouse on the Hudson River," Vance explained rapidly, taking Leo from Loretta’s arms, holding his son securely against his shoulder while keeping his gun hand ready. "We have an armored speedboat there. We can cross the river to a secondary safe house in Westchester."
They sprinted down the long, cold concrete corridor. Behind them, heavy iron doors slammed shut automatically, locked by the estate’s security system to slow down pursuers.
They reached the end of the tunnel, exiting into the damp air of the stone boathouse. The dark waters of the Hudson River lapped against the wooden docks. A sleek, black matte speedboat sat tied to the slips.
Vance rushed to the boat, placing Leo safely into the passenger seat of the enclosed cabin. "Stay down, Leo. Don't move."
"Dad, I'm scared!" Leo cried out.
"I know, son. It's almost over." Vance turned to help Loretta into the boat.
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Suddenly, a harsh, mocking voice echoed from the shadows of the boathouse entrance.
"Running away, Salvatore? That doesn't sound like the King of Manhattan."
