Chapter 7 - THE PENTHOUSE SIEGE
“No games,” the enforcer snarled, stepping forward. “Silas wants the drive, and he wants the brats. Hand them over, and we might make this quick.”
“You’re standing on seventy-five million dollars’ worth of real estate,” Elliot said smoothly, his eyes calculating the distance between the men. “You really think I don’t have home-field advantage?”
Before the enforcer could process the words, Elliot hit a panic button hidden under the lip of his desk.
The penthouse plunged into absolute, pitch-black darkness. The emergency lights died. Thick, impenetrable titanium shutters violently slammed down over the floor-to-ceiling windows, sealing off all outside light and trapping the intruders inside.
“What the hell!” one of the gunmen shouted.
“Night vision, now!” the enforcer ordered.
But as they reached for their goggles, a blinding, high-intensity strobe light system—designed specifically to disorient armed intruders—erupted from the ceiling. It flashed with nauseating speed, accompanied by an ear-splitting, high-frequency acoustic alarm.
The mercenaries screamed, dropping their weapons to clutch their ears and cover their eyes.
Marcus and his team, wearing specialized noise-canceling headsets and polarized visors, swept into the room from the shadows like ghosts. It was over in less than sixty seconds. The sound of brutal, close-quarters hand-to-hand combat echoed over the alarm, followed by the heavy thuds of unconscious bodies hitting the floor.
Elliot deactivated the alarm and brought the normal lights back on. The five mercenaries were zip-tied on the floor, bleeding and neutralized.
“Casualties?” Elliot asked, stepping over a groaning man.
“None on our side,” Marcus breathed heavily, adjusting his suit. “You were right about the inside man. My guys downstairs caught David trying to slip out the back with a briefcase full of cash.”
“Lock David in the server room,” Elliot said coldly. “I’ll deal with his treason later. Right now, Victor Silas just broke our truce. We aren’t waiting for midnight.”
Elliot walked to the panic room and opened it. Maddie peered out, her eyes wide.
May you like
“Is it safe?” she whispered.
“It’s safe,” Elliot promised. “Stay with Mrs. Vance. I’m going to go get your mother.”
