Chapter 6 - FIRE IN THE VIPER'S NEST
The dockside warehouse was a fortress of rusted corrugated steel and reinforced concrete, heavily guarded by Marcus’s newly bought mercenaries. Black SUVs were parked in tight perimeters, and men with earpieces patrolled the loading docks. Inside, a lavish, illicit gala was in full swing, celebrating the shift in power.
From the vantage point of a rusted crane fifty yards away, Tommy peered through the thermal scope of his high-powered rifle. "I count twelve on the perimeter. Three on the roof. AV booth is on the second-floor gantry, overlooking the main floor."
"Take the roof," Vincent's voice crackled through the radio. "Silas, Carmine, you hit the front gate. Heavy and loud. Draw the perimeter guards. Elena and I will breach through the flooded drainage pipe in the rear."
"Copy that. Happy hunting, boss," Carmine replied.
Seconds later, the night erupted.
A massive explosion shattered the front gates of the compound as Silas detonated a shaped charge. Automatic gunfire roared over the sound of crashing steel. The perimeter guards immediately sprinted toward the front, shouting into their radios. Chaos reigned.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Vincent and Elena emerged from the murky waters of the drainage ditch at the back of the building. Vincent used bolt cutters to snap the chains on a heavy maintenance door, pulling it open. They slipped into the humid, shadow-drenched interior of the warehouse's lower level.
Above them, they could hear the muffled thumping of heavy bass music and the sudden, panicked shouts of the cartel buyers as the gunfire outside intensified.
"The stairs to the gantry are on the right," Vincent whispered, his pistol drawn, acting as a human shield for his daughter. "I'll clear the path. You run. You don't stop for anything until you plug that drive in. Understood?"
"Understood," Elena breathed, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs.
They moved up the steel grate stairs. Two guards rounded the corner, rifles raising. Vincent didn't even break his stride; he fired three times in rapid succession, moving with a fluid, terrifying lethality. He stepped over the bodies, pushing Elena forward.
They reached the door to the AV booth. A heavily armored mercenary stood guard, wearing a full ballistic mask. He saw Vincent and leveled a combat shotgun, but a high-caliber round suddenly shattered the window behind him, passing straight through the guard's shoulder. Tommy was providing overwatch from the crane outside. The guard collapsed.
"Go!" Vincent shouted, kicking the door open.
Elena darted inside the booth. The terrified sound engineer threw his hands up and backed away. Elena ignored him, slamming the micro-SD card into the main broadcasting terminal. Her hands flew across the keyboard, bypassing the music feed and overriding the main projector system.
Outside on the gantry, Vincent took cover behind a steel pillar as Marcus, flanked by his remaining elite guard, stormed onto the floor below, screaming orders.
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"Find them! They're in the building! Find the old man!" Marcus shrieked, his manic bravado cracking under the pressure of the assault.
Then, the music abruptly cut off. The massive LED screens spanning the walls of the warehouse flickered, turning pitch black. The gunfire outside seemed to pause as every eye in the building turned upward.
