Chapter 9 - The Siege of Beacon Hill
BOOM!
The heavy iron gates at the end of the long driveway were blown off their hinges by a concussive breach charge. Shouts, screeching tires, and the rapid, terrifying pop of automatic gunfire shattered the peaceful midnight quiet.
"Get inside!" Victor roared, shoving me through the glass doors and slamming them shut.
The house burst into immediate chaos. Alarm sirens wailed through the hallways, red emergency lights pulsing along the ceiling.
"Frank! Sal!" Victor shouted into a walkie-talkie pulled from his belt. "Intruders at the main gate! Lock down Sector One!"
I sprinted up the stairs, my heart pounding in my ears. "Kids! Wake up! Get to the safe room!"
The children were already spilling out into the hallway, terrified by the loud explosions. Talia was clutching Avery, while Jamal was trying to push the younger twins toward the master suite.
"Mari! What's happening?!" Talia screamed over the alarms.
"In here! Move!" I ushered all nine children into Victor’s private study at the end of the hall.
Behind the heavy oak bookshelf in Victor's office was a massive, reinforced steel panic room—a remnant of the estate’s history. I punched the six-digit code Victor had taught me into the digital keypad: 0 - 9 - 1 - 4—the date he had found Matteo.
The heavy steel door slid open with a hiss.
"Inside! All of you, get inside now!" I shouted, pushing the kids through the entrance.
Downstairs, the sound of heavy boots shattering the front doors echoed through the estate, followed by loud gunfire—BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Mari, come on!" Jamal yelled, reaching out his hand from inside the panic room.
"I have to lock it from the outside control, Jamal!" I lied, wanting to make sure Victor was safe. "Stay inside and don't open it for anyone!"
I slammed the panic room door shut, engaging the heavy mechanical locks.
I turned around, grabbed a heavy bronze statue from Victor’s desk, and stepped out into the hallway.
At the top of the grand staircase, Victor stood alone, holding a heavy black pistol. Below him in the foyer, five men in tactical gear were exchange gunfire with Victor’s guards. Standing in the center of the foyer was an older man in a trench coat—Donovan Rossi.
"Vance!" Rossi shouted over the chaos, holding a gun. "Give up the boy and the foundation documents! You're outnumbered!"
"You stepped into my house, Donovan," Victor said, his voice terrifyingly calm as he stepped down the stairs, firing two precise shots that took down two of Rossi’s men. "That was your last mistake."
Suddenly, one of Rossi’s men, who had snuck up the rear service stairs, lunged out of the dark hallway behind Victor, aiming a shotgun at his back!
"Victor! Behind you!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
I didn't think. I sprinted forward and threw the heavy bronze statue with all my strength. It struck the shooter squarely in the side of his face, knocking his aim off just as he pulled the trigger!
BLAM!
The shotgun blast blasted into the ceiling plaster above Victor's head. Victor spun around instantly, firing two shots into the attacker's chest, dropping him to the floor.
Victor looked up, his eyes wide as he saw me standing there, breathless and trembling.
"Mari!" he yelled, lunging up the stairs, pulling me behind his broad frame just as three more security guards flooded the foyer from the side entrances, completely overpowering Rossi’s remaining men.
Within two minutes, the gunfire stopped. The foyer was filled with smoke, shattered glass, and defeated intruders. Frank stood over Rossi, disarming him and pinning him to the floor.
Victor held me tight against his chest, his heart thumping wildly against my cheek. He pressed a hard kiss to the top of my head, breathing heavily.
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"You crazy, magnificent woman," Victor rasped, his arms wrapped around me like steel bands. "You saved my life."
"I told you," I whispered, holding onto his shirt, tears spilling down my face. "We're a team now."
