Chapter 4 - Breach at Midnight
The rhythmic rat-tat-tat of silenced submachine gun fire echoed up the sweeping marble staircase. Shouts in German and Russian pierced the opulent silence of the estate, followed by the heavy thud of boots hitting the parquet floor.
"They found us faster than anticipated," Adrian said, his voice entirely devoid of panic. He drew a sleek, matte-black Sig Sauer pistol from a concealed holster beneath his suit jacket with terrifying ease.
"Who are they?" Nora ducked behind a heavy mahogany writing desk as a stray bullet splintered the doorframe above her head.
"The Syndicate," Adrian replied, snapping a fresh magazine into his weapon. "A faction within the police department and city hall that wants the transit files buried permanently. They thought Margaret was the only loose end. Now, they know you have the locket."
"I don't want your war!" Nora hissed, crawling toward a side hallway. "Let me out through the service stairs!"
"There are no service exits left, Ms. Callahan," Adrian said, firing two precise shots down the long corridor outside the parlor. A heavy thud signaled a neutralized threat. "You are tied to this now whether you like it or not. The moment you picked up that locket, your name went onto their elimination manifest."
May you like
A grenade clattered into the hallway just outside the parlor door.
"Get down!" Adrian shouted, lunging forward and tackling Nora behind a reinforced marble pillar just as the explosive detonated, turning the parlor entrance into a storm of shrapnel and white-hot fire.
