Chapter 16 - FIRE IN THE HALLSThe second-floor corridors were filled with the acrid scent of ozone and cordite. The smart-lighting system flickered and died, plunging the estate into emergency red backup illumination.
Clara moved with silent, practiced precision, hugging the stone pillars while Bruno flanked her right side, his heavy claws clicking softly against the marble tiles. Ahead of them, two mercenaries in tactical black gear were working furiously to override the heavy steel door of the server room using a plasma cutter.
Hiss—spark—pop.
Clara raised the shotgun, resting the barrel against her shoulder. "Drop the torch," she called out, her voice echoing down the hall.
The mercenaries spun around, rifles raised, but before they could acquire their targets, Bruno launched himself forward like a cannonball, slamming the first man directly into the oak wall with a sickening crunch.
The second mercenary swung his weapon toward Clara, but she didn't hesitate. She fired a single non-lethal slug straight into his chest plate, sending the man flying backward onto the floor, completely winded and unconscious.
As the smoke cleared, Matteo stepped out from the intersecting hallway, his pistol smoking faintly. He looked down at the two downed men, then over at Clara, who lowered her weapon with steady hands.
"You're enjoying this," Matteo noted, walking up to her.
"I'm protecting my home," Clara corrected with a smirk, wiping a smudge of soot from her cheek.
May you like
Before Matteo could reply, the heavy emergency doors at the end of the hall hissed open, and Leo stepped through, holding a bloodied, panic-stricken Vance by the collar.
"The rest of the extraction team is neutralized, Boss," Leo reported, shoving Vance onto his knees between them. "And we recovered the server drives."
