Chapter 5 - Betrayal at Midnight
By midnight, a fierce thunderstorm battered the coastal cliffs, rain hammering violently against the high estate windows. Inside the master bedroom, a fire crackled in the hearth, throwing warm golden light across the room.
Bridget lay beneath the silk sheets of the grand canopy bed, her eyes open as she watched Victor work at his desk across the room. He had moved his command station inside, refusing to leave her alone for even a minute.
“You should sleep,” Bridget said softly into the quiet room.
Victor looked up from his papers, his dark eyes meeting hers. “I’ll sleep when the house is secure.”
Suddenly, the lights flickered and died completely, plunging the bedroom into darkness save for the dim orange glow of the dying fireplace. A second later, the backup generators failed to kick in—a clear sign that the main power lines had been deliberately severed.
Downstairs, a heavy glass window shattered, followed by the muffled sound of silenced gunshots echoing through the lower hallways.
Victor moved instantly. He pulled a heavy tactical sidearm from his desk drawer and crossed the room in two strides, reaching the side of the bed.
“Stay behind me,” Victor commanded, pulling Bridget out of bed and tucking her behind his back against the solid headboard.
The heavy bedroom door rattled. Someone was attempting to input an override code into the electronic lock.
“They bypassed the outer perimeter,” Marco’s voice crackled through the encrypted radio on Victor’s vest. “Boss, we’ve got six armed breach units inside the house. They came through the east wing.”
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“Hold the main staircase,” Victor ordered into his comms. “I’m holding the master suite.”
The electronic lock on the bedroom door chimed green. The door swung open, revealing three masked men clad in black tactical gear, their rifles raised.
