Marco’s heavy coat absorbed the damp chill of the hallway on the second floor of Callaway Street. The building smelled of old grease, boiled cabbage, and peeling paint. Down the hall, a flickering fluorescent bulb buzzed like a trapped hornet.

Back at the estate, the storm raged outside. Thunder shook the heavy stone walls.

Jenny was reading a story to Toby in the upper guest room when the power suddenly cut out, plunging the grand house into darkness.

Emergency red lights clicked on, casting a blood-colored glow through the corridors.

Then came the sound of gunfire from the lower courtyard.

Jenny grabbed Toby, shoving him into a hidden linen closet behind a heavy oak bookshelf. "Toby, listen to me," she whispered fiercely, gripping his small shoulders. "No matter what you hear, no matter who calls your name, do not make a sound. Do you understand me?"

"Mommy, I'm scared," Toby whimpered, holding his small inhaler tightly in his hand.

"I love you," she kissed his forehead. "Stay quiet."

She closed the closet door and backed away just as the heavy wooden doors of the master wing were kicked open.

Two armed mercenaries in tactical gear rushed into the corridor. Jenny grabbed a heavy brass candelabra from a side table and swung with all her strength, striking the first man across the face. He went down with a groan, but the second man grabbed her by the hair, throwing her violently onto the floor.

"Got the girl!" the mercenary yelled into his radio. "Where's the kid?"

Jenny spat blood onto the polished marble, her eyes blazing with raw fury. "You won't touch my son!"

She reached out, grabbing a fallen glass vase, and smashed it against the mercenary's knee. He roared in pain, dropping his weapon. Before he could recover, the heavy front doors downstairs blew off their hinges with a deafening blast.

Shouts, rapid gunfire, and screams filled the lower hall.

Marco had arrived.

He fought like a demon unleashed. Having escaped the quarry trap thanks to Leo’s sniper team waiting in reserve, Marco had driven like a madman across the county to reach the estate.

He burst into the upper hallway, his suit torn, bloody, and eyes burning with unholy wrath.

When Marco saw the mercenary standing over Jenny, he didn't shoot. He closed the distance in two strides, grabbed the man by the throat, and slammed him through the mahogany banister, sending him crashing down to the marble foyer two stories below.

Marco dropped to his knees beside Jenny, pulling her into his arms. "Are you hit? Are you okay?"