Chapter 8 - Darkness and Gunfire
Julian grabbed the heavy wooden piano lid and slammed it down with brutal force, crushing Hector's hand inside the instrument.
A horrific shriek of pain tore from Hector's throat as bone cracked beneath the heavy mahogany wood.
"Run!" Julian yelled, grabbing Anaëlle by the waist and yanking her off the piano bench.
"My blindfold!" she screamed as total chaos erupted around her.
"Leave it on!" Julian barked, pulling her behind the massive body of the grand piano just as the deafening roar of automatic gunfire ripped through the air.
Bullets shattered the gilded clock, tore into the marble walls, and rained glass down upon them. Vance’s guards, stationed outside the room, were firing blindly into the space.
"They have night-vision goggles!" Julian hissed in her ear, his body completely blanketing hers against the side of the piano. "If you take off that blindfold, the muzzle flashes will blind you permanently in this darkness! Trust me!"
Julian reached up into the interior frame of the crushed piano, grabbing the silver micro-drive before pulling a small, heavy black device from his tactical belt. He slammed a button on the device.
EMP ACTIVATED.
Instantly, every light in the grand estate blew out. The emergency backups died. The night-vision goggles worn by Vance’s mercenaries short-circuited with high-pitched squeals, blinding the guards instantly and plunging the entire estate into absolute, impenetrable darkness.
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Total blackness enveloped the room. Screams of confusion and panic filled the hall as guards stumbled over furniture, firing aimlessly into the dark.
"Now," Julian whispered close to her ear, his breath steady amidst the absolute chaos. "You have played in the dark your whole life, Anaëlle. Guide us out."
