Chapter 5 - THE STORM BREAKS
11:50 PM.
The estate was deadly quiet. I stood in the darkness of the main dining room, overlooking the hallway that led to the kitchen. My men were positioned in the shadows, weapons raised, breathing controlled.
Suddenly, my radio crackled. It was Norah, the assistant who had handed me the file earlier. She was trembling on the other end of the line. "Mr. Moretti... it's Anna. She wasn't in her room. She went back to the kitchen to prep the morning bread dough. She didn't know about the lockdown."
My blood ran ice cold. "Where is Lily?"
"She's with her. She took the girl with her because she was having a nightmare."
I swore violently, abandoning my position. "Hold fire on the kitchen! My housekeeper is in there!"
"Boss, you can't!" Silas yelled over the radio. "They're breaching in two minutes!"
"Hold the line!" I roared, sprinting down the hallway.
I burst through the swinging doors into the massive industrial kitchen. The lights were dim. Anna was at the stainless steel counter, kneading dough, humming softly. Lily was sitting on a high stool near the pantry, coloring in a book, her leg brace resting awkwardly on the rung of the chair.
Anna gasped as I entered, dropping the dough. "Mr. Moretti? What are you doing down here? Is everything alright?"
"Grab her," I said, my voice leaving no room for argument. "We have to go. Now."
"Sir? I don't understand—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a massive explosion rocked the foundation of the house. The heavy steel service door—the one Evelyn had compromised—blew completely off its hinges, sending a shockwave of dust and debris flying across the kitchen.
The Russos were early.
Gunfire immediately shattered the windows. Glass rained down around us. Anna screamed, throwing herself over Lily, knocking the stool to the floor.
I drew my weapon, stepping in front of them as three men in tactical black poured through the smoke-filled doorway, assault rifles raised.
"Get down!" I yelled at Anna. I raised my Glock and fired three times in rapid succession. The lead gunman dropped, a bullet catching him perfectly in the throat. The other two scrambled for cover behind the massive marble island.
Bullets chewed through the cabinets above my head, showering me in splintered wood and ceramic dust.
"Silas! We are pinned in the kitchen!" I yelled into my radio, firing blindly to keep the gunmen suppressed.
"We're pushing through the corridor, Boss! Hold tight!"
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I looked back. Anna was huddled in the corner, clutching Lily to her chest, sobbing in sheer terror. Lily wasn't crying. She was staring at me, her wide, innocent eyes reflecting the muzzle flashes. I had brought this violence to her door. But I would be damned if I let it touch her.
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