Chapter 5 - THE FACE BEHIND THE MASKThe steel door blew inward with a deafening roar, tearing off its reinforced bolts and crashing onto the Persian rug.
Thick white smoke billowed into the room. Through the haze, two tactical operators rushed through the breach, their rifle barrels sweeping left and right in practiced military sweeps.
Eleanor didn't hesitate.
She stepped out from behind the heavy mahogany desk, shouldered the tactical shotgun, and fired. The blast shattered the front window and peppered the wall with buckshot, but the sheer concussive force knocked the lead intruder off balance, sending him crashing backward into the hallway wall.
The second operator raised his rifle, tracking toward Marcus and the baby cowering in the corner.
Click.
Eleanor pumped the shotgun, sighted down the barrel, and fired a precision blast that shattered the intruder’s weapon right out of his hands, sending metal shrapnel tearing through his tactical glove.
"Drop your weapons or the next one goes through your chest!" Eleanor roared, her voice echoing with absolute, terrifying authority.
The two intruders froze. For a second, the only sound was the crackle of the security alarms and the soft whimpering of the baby in the bassinet.
The lead operator, groaning in pain, slowly lowered his hands. With a deliberate, mocking movement, he reached up and peeled off his ballistic mask.
Eleanor’s finger tightened on the trigger, her breath catching in her throat. She stared at the man standing in front of her.
It was James Calder—the midnight security guard from Montgomery Tower.
"James?" Eleanor whispered, absolute betrayal washing over her. "You... you've worked for me for eight years."
James wiped a smear of blood from his cheek, offering a cold, twisted smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Eight years standing in a lobby watching you play corporate queen, Ms. Montgomery. You really thought a man with my background was just a retired rent-a-cop? Some secrets are worth more than a pension."
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"You were tracking the child," Eleanor said, her voice shaking with rage. "You knew where I would be."
"I knew everything," James chuckled darkly, taking a step forward despite the shotgun barrel pointed at his heart. "And so does the board. You think Sarah Lin and your precious directors didn't know what was happening down in the subterranean labs beneath Montgomery Tower? That baby isn't just a child, Eleanor. She's project Genesis. And the board wants her back—dead or alive."
