Chapter 6 - Shadows in the Marble Foyer
The grand foyer of the Ferrante estate was a cavernous space of white marble pillars, soaring vaulted ceilings, and a massive crystal chandelier that cast shattered reflections of the emergency red lighting across the walls.
Now, it was a war zone.
Thick grey smoke drifted across the polished floor from a smoke grenade the attackers had lobbed through the shattered front glass doors. Through the haze, heavy combat boots crunched over broken crystal and pulverized stone.
Marin crouched behind the thick marble base of a structural pillar near the grand staircase, her breathing slow and controlled. She had learned years ago to tune out the ambient chaos—the ringing in her ears, the smell of cordite, the distant shouts of the enemy—and focus entirely on micro-movements.
Two operatives were sweeping the ground floor, moving in a classic bounding overwatch formation. One advanced while the other covered, their weapon flashlights cutting sharp beams through the rolling smoke.
Left man is leading with his right shoulder exposed, Marin noted internally. Right man is lagging half a second on his corner checks.
She didn't wait for them to spot her. Stepping out from behind the pillar with absolute fluidity, she raised the Glock and fired two rapid shots low and center.
Clang-thud.
The right operative’s tactical plate absorbed the impact, spinning him hard against the marble wall, but his vest saved his life. He grunted and whipped his rifle toward her.
Before he could acquire a target, a suppressed crack echoed from the balcony above. Elias, perched on the second-floor mezzanine with his SIG Sauer, delivered a precise, devastating round that dropped the operative instantly.
The remaining operative spun around, screaming an obscenity in French, and hurls a burst of suppressive fire toward the staircase. Bullets chipped marble shards off the banister, raining white dust over Marin’s shoulders.
Marin dropped flat to the marble floor, rolled twice to her left behind a heavy velvet settee, and came up on one knee. As the operative stepped around the pillar to track her movement, she fired a single, calculated shot that caught him square in the outer thigh, shattering his femur.
The man collapsed with a raw, agonizing scream, his weapon clattering across the polished floor.
Silence descended on the foyer once more, broken only by the crackle of distant flames from the front doors and the groaning of the wounded man.
Elias descended the grand staircase two steps at a time, his weapon still raised, his eyes scanning the shadows before he walked over to the downed operative and kicked the man's rifle out of reach. He looked down at the bleeding mercenary, then raised his gaze to meet Marin across the room.
"Not bad for a night nurse," Elias said, his voice laced with a strange mixture of awe and cold amusement.
"I've seen worse," Marin replied, lowering her weapon and releasing the magazine to check her round count. "Though your housekeeping is definitely going to take a hit after tonight."
Before Elias could respond, a sharp, piercing beep echoed from the command center console through the open intercom speaker.
Warning: Perimeter breach detected at the subterranean sea-cave exit.
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Elias’s face went completely stone-cold. "They didn't just send a hit squad," he said quietly. "They sent a distraction team to draw us into the main house while the real extraction team bypassed the cliffs."
Marin’s eyes narrowed. "Adelaide."
