Chapter 7 - The Siege of Fifth Avenue
"Stay behind me," Kareem ordered, pushing me toward a reinforced panic room built into the back of his study.
"I'm not hiding!" I said, grabbing a heavy brass paperweight from the desk. "I didn't survive Trent Mallory's tyranny to hide in a closet now!"
Before Kareem could argue, the heavy oak doors of the study were blown off their hinges by a concussive blast. Smoke billowed into the room, smelling of cordite and burnt wood. Three masked operatives in tactical black gear poured through the smoke, weapons raised.
Tariq engaged immediately, dropping the first operative with two precise shots to the chest. But the second assailant rushed him, tackling my mentor to the floor in a brutal struggle for his firearm.
The third operative—a towering brute with a cold scar across his jaw—turned his weapon directly toward Kareem.
"Boss!" I screamed.
Without thinking, I hurled the heavy brass paperweight with every ounce of strength I had. It caught the operative squarely in the temple, throwing his aim off just as he pulled the trigger. The bullet shattered the glass window beside Kareem instead of piercing his chest.
Kareem didn't hesitate. He swept the operative's legs out from under him, sending the man crashing hard onto the marble floor, where Tariq—having subdued his own attacker—quickly zip-tied his hands.
The room fell quiet again, save for the wailing security alarms and the hiss of fire suppression sprinklers.
Kareem stood up, adjusting his suit jacket, though a thin scratch bled down his cheek. He looked at me, breathing heavily, and then at the fallen intruders.
"You just saved my life," Kareem said quietly.
"I guess I inherited my grandmother's habit of pulling men out of bad situations," I panted, my hands shaking slightly.
Kareem let out a sharp, incredulous laugh, then clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder. "Margaret would be cheering right now."
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Tariq checked the comms unit on his wrist. "Boss, the building security detail has locked down the lobby, but our intel shows Julian Sterling himself is parked outside in a command van. He coordinated this strike."
Kareem’s eyes darkened into an abyss of cold fury. "Then it's time we paid Mr. Sterling a visit."
