Chapter 17 - The Siege at Timber Ridge
"Noah!" I screamed, turning and sprinting toward the bedroom.
The door flew open before I reached it. Noah was standing there in his dinosaur pajamas, rubbing his eyes, his little fingers clutching his toy rabbit. "Mommy? Why is it dark?"
I scooped him into my arms, pressing his face against my shoulder, my heart hammering like a trapped bird against my ribs. "It’s okay, baby. Mommy’s got you. Close your eyes and keep them closed, okay?"
Behind me, the sound of breaking glass shattered the mountain quiet.
"Suppressors!" Daniel yelled. "Rear terrace!"
Julian was already at my side, pulling a heavy steel reinforced panic door shut behind us, isolating the inner hallway from the main living quarters. "Kallie, take Noah into the sub-basement bunker. Daniel and I will hold the choke point."
"No," Victoria Sterling’s voice echoed down the hall, steady and completely devoid of panic. She was standing near the gun rack Daniel had installed near the pantry. To my utter shock, the seventy-five-year-old matriarch was holding a compact Belgian submachine gun, inspecting the bolt with practiced familiarity. "They aren't here to storm the house. Marcus is arrogant, but he isn't stupid. If he destroys Noah, he destroys his own access to the trust."
"Then what are they doing?" Julian shouted over the sudden crackle of automatic gunfire outside.
"They're smoking us out," Victoria replied coldly.
A heavy, metallic thud landed against the front porch roof, followed by a hissing sound. Thick, acrid chemical smoke began pouring through the ventilation ducts. It smelled of sulfur and burning phosphorus—military-grade tear gas.
"Gas masks!" Daniel yelled, tossing two respirators toward Julian and me. "The HVAC system is drawing it right into the bedrooms!"
I shoved the smaller pediatric respirator over Noah’s face. He whimpered in terror, his tiny hands clutching my neck, tears streaming down his cheeks behind the clear visor. "Hold on to Mommy, Noah. Hold on tight!"
The front door groaned as a breaching charge detonated, blowing the heavy oak frame into splinters. Splinters and dust rained down in the amber emergency light.
Two figures clad in black tactical gear burst through the smoke, their laser sights cutting through the haze. Daniel fired from behind the kitchen island, three disciplined bursts dropping the lead breacher instantly. The second shooter returned fire, wood and plaster exploding around Julian’s head as he returned fire with his handgun.
From the hallway corner, Victoria raised her weapon. With chilling, methodical precision, she fired a short burst into the doorway, driving the remaining attackers back into the courtyard.
"The underground tunnel leading to the carriage house," Victoria commanded, gesturing toward a floor hatch beneath the pantry carpet. "Move! Now! Before they deploy the thermal drones!"
May you like
Julian pried open the hatch, revealing a steep concrete stairway leading into the blackness beneath the house. "Kallie, go first! Take Noah!"
I didn't hesitate. Gripping Noah against my chest with one arm and sliding down the ladder with the other, I descended into the cold damp earth below, praying with every breath that my son would live to see the sunrise.