Chapter 16 - The Siege of Midnight
The darkness above the Moretti estate was ripped apart by concussive flashbangs and the vicious chatter of automatic gunfire. Sterling’s strike force was unlike anything Dominic’s men had faced before; they were not street gangsters or corrupt cops, but former elite special forces mercenaries operating under Vanguard’s unlimited black budget.
Dominic moved through the darkened corridors of the upper mansion like a phantom of death. Dressed in all black, his tactical vest loaded with magazines, he was an elemental force of nature. Every corner he turned was met with lethal precision.
A mercenary breached the second-floor terrace, kicking through the shattered French doors with a suppressed assault rifle raised. Dominic stepped out of the shadow behind a marble pillar, seized the barrel, redirected the weapon upward as a burst tore into the ceiling, and drove his combat blade straight through the operative's tactical vest.
"Echo team, converge on the central hall!" a voice crackled through the fallen soldier's comms headset. Dominic took the earpiece, shoving it into his ear.
"This is Dominic Moretti," he spoke into the comm with deadly calm. "Tell Senator Sterling that if he wants my head, he should have come in person. None of you are leaving this ground alive."
Explosions shook the foundation of the house. Smoke billowed through the ornate hallways, choking the air with cordite and pulverized plaster. Below in the underground bunker, Evelyn held Lily tightly in her arms. The little girl buried her face into Evelyn’s sweater, whimpering as the tremors echoed through the thick concrete walls.
"Mommy... are the monsters coming?" Lily whispered, her innocent voice breaking Evelyn’s heart.
"No, my sweet girl," Evelyn whispered back, kissing Lily’s hair, tears burning her eyes. "Don Dominic is protecting us. He won't let anything hurt you."
Suddenly, the bunker’s ventilation shaft groaned under immense strain. Arthur snapped his rifle toward the ceiling, but before he could squeeze the trigger, a thermite charge detonated above the secondary service hatch. Sparks rained down like molten gold, and two heavily armed Vanguard operatives dropped into the bunker with blinding efficiency.
A burst of gunfire caught Arthur in the shoulder, spinning him to the ground with a grunt of agony.
"Arthur!" Evelyn screamed.
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One of the masked mercenaries stepped toward Evelyn, his weapon aimed squarely at her chest, while the other reached out to grab Lily by her collar.
In that split second, the timid waitress who had scrubbed greasy tables and endured endless humiliation vanished. A mother’s primal fury took over.