Chapter 15 - Blood and Thunder
A deafening roar ripped through the drawing room as Daniel fired two rapid shots straight into the timber frame beside Julian’s head, showering the older man in splintered oak.
"Move!" Daniel roared, grabbing my arm and shoving us toward the service stairwell concealed behind the mahogany bookshelf.
At that exact second, the heavy leaded windows shattered into a million sparkling shards. Gunfire erupted across the grand salon. Julian dove behind the archway, shouting furious curses to his mercenary team, while Daniel returned fire with chilling accuracy.
"Clara, down!" Daniel shouted, his body hovering over mine as bullets shredded the antique paintings and plaster above us. He reached into his coat and pressed a heavy, encrypted titanium keycard into my palm. "The underground storm shelter connects to the old coastal tunnel beneath the cliffside. The service door is unlocked. Take Leo and run."
"I am not leaving you!" I gasped, tears stinging my eyes, my arms locked around my baby. "Daniel, he wants you dead!"
"He wants the offshore codes, Clara! He won't kill me until he gets them, but he won't hesitate to use you and Leo as leverage," Daniel replied, his sapphire eyes burning with fierce, protective devotion. He cupped my cheek with his calloused hand, smearing a smudge of soot from my temple. "Trust me. I survived three tours in specialized reconnaissance before I ever ran a boardroom. I will meet you at the lighthouse pier in forty minutes. Go!"
A flash grenade detonated in the front foyer, blinding the hallway in pure white brilliance.
Heart pounding, I turned and shoved the heavy iron door of the emergency passage open. Clutching Leo under my jacket, I plunged down the spiraling stone stairs into the pitch-black belly of the Vance estate.
Behind me, the heavy steel door slammed shut and automatically locked, cutting off the deafening sound of gunfire.
I ran through the damp, subterranean corridor, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The baby let out a tiny whimper against my collarbone. "Shh, my sweet boy," I whispered through gritted teeth, adrenaline setting my veins on fire. "Mommy is going to protect you. No one takes our family down."
Suddenly, the hum of an emergency generator flickered in the tunnel ahead. A single emergency halogen light sputtered to life.
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Standing beneath the flickering bulb fifty yards ahead was not one of Julian’s hired killers.
It was Victoria.