Chapter 7 - The Descent
The second-floor hallway was choked with acrid black smoke. Damian moved like a ghost through the haze, his carbine tucked tight against his shoulder. Two of Julian’s mercenaries rounded the corner near the master bedroom, their tactical lights sweeping the walls.
Before their sights could center on him, Damian’s suppressed 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 down to the foyer.
Below, through the wrought-iron banister, he could see a dozen men moving in coordinated sweeps. At the center stood Julian, casually pouring himself a glass of whiskey from the crystal decanter on the dry bar, surrounded by three elite guards.
"Sweep the east wing again!" Julian shouted over the crackle of a spreading fire near the library. "He has to be heading for the comms room!"
Damian didn't wait. He vaulted over the banister, dropping three meters into the foyer with a heavy thud, his boots absorbing the impact.
The guards spun around, but Damian was already moving. He fired a three-round burst that caught the lead operative in the chest, spinning him into the glass display case. The second guard managed to raise his rifle, but Damian swept the barrel aside with the butt of his carbine, driving his elbow upward into the man’s throat with bone-cracking force.
Julian froze, the whiskey decanter halting halfway to his glass. He slowly turned around, his smug smile faltering as he looked down the barrel of Damian’s rifle.
"You really don't know when to quit, do you?" Julian breathed, his voice tight.
"This is my house, Julian," Damian said, stepping forward, the muzzle locked dead on his brother's chest. "You just rented the rooms."
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Julian’s lips curled into a manic grin. He didn't raise his hands. Instead, he slowly pressed a button on the remote control gripped tightly in his left hand.
"True," Julian whispered. "But houses burn down."
