Chapter 26 - Into the Fire
The ground floor of the newly constructed manor was a war zone. Smoke billowed from shattered windows where flash-bangs had detonated against the custom glass panels. Splintered oak and shredded drywall littered the polished hardwood floors.
Damian moved through the shadows of the central hallway like a silent predator, his carbine tucked tight against his shoulder, the red laser sight painting sweeping arcs across the walls.
Two Directorate operatives rounded the corner near the dining room, their tactical carbines raised in a synchronized sweep.
Before their sights could center on him, Damian’s weapon spat twice. Puff. Puff.
Both men dropped instantly, their armor failing against close-range shots to the unarmored joints beneath the arms. Damian stepped over their bodies without breaking stride, his eyes fixed on the grand staircase leading up to his private study.
At the top of the stairs stood a figure clad in a tailored dark suit, completely unarmored, holding a silver pocket watch in one hand and watching the destruction with detached amusement.
"You really should invest in better security, Damian," a smooth, cultured voice echoed down the hall.
May you like
Damian stopped at the base of the stairs, his rifle locked dead on the man's chest. "Director Vance."
The man looked up, smiling faintly. It was Arthur Vance—their uncle, the man who had supposedly lived in quiet retirement in Zurich for the last twenty years, funded by the family's legitimate European accounts.
