Chapter 13 - The Front Glass
The sound of shattering glass from the grand foyer echoed through the high-ceilinged hallways like a thunderclap.
Julian dropped the heavy butcher's block, letting it slide against the barricade of chairs with a dull thud. He pulled the phone tighter to his ear.
"Arthur! They're in the front! They just smashed the foyer window!" Julian shouted over the line, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs.
"Get upstairs to Maya, Julian! Now!" Arthur’s voice screamed through the receiver. "They aren't after the ledgers anymore. Once the police recovered the server mirror, the leadership decided to eliminate any remaining witnesses who know about the Zurich tampering!"
The terrible realization washed over Julian like freezing water. Elena wasn't just a corrupt executive protecting a PR image; she was a pawn in a much larger, more dangerous syndicate that operated above the law. And now that she was in custody, the syndicate was cutting its losses by erasing everyone who possessed the truth.
Julian spun away from the kitchen barricade and sprinted toward the main staircase, taking the steps three at a time in a desperate rush.
As he reached the second-floor landing, the emergency hallway lights flickered violently and died, plunging the upper floor into sudden, suffocating darkness.
Maya screamed from her bedroom.
"Daddy! Someone is in my room!"
Julian didn't think; he threw himself down the hallway, slamming his shoulder against Maya’s bedroom door and bursting into the room.
The window overlooking the front courtyard had been smashed open, shards of glass glittering on the hardwood floor like scattered diamonds. A tall, dark figure in a tactical vest stood beside the bed, one gloved hand gently reaching down toward the terrified little girl.
Maya was backed up against the headboard, clutching her stuffed rabbit with one hand while desperately trying to shield her white medical leg brace with the other.
"Step away from her!" Julian roared, lunging forward with every ounce of strength in his body.
He tackled the tactical operative squarely in the ribs, driving both of them hard against the heavy wooden wardrobe. The intruder grunted from the impact, but his training kicked in instantly. With a swift, practiced elbow strike, the operative caught Julian squarely across the jaw, sending him stumbling backward onto the floor.
The operative drew a small, suppressed sidearm from his hip holster, raising the barrel toward Julian with cold, mechanical precision.
Maya shrieked, throwing herself off the bed and onto the floor right in front of Julian, using her small body and the rigid white medical brace as an impossible shield.
"Don't hurt my daddy!" Maya sobbed, her voice cracking with pure terror.
The operative paused for a fraction of a second, the suppressed barrel wavering slightly as the child threw herself into the line of fire.
In that microsecond of hesitation, a heavy shadow loomed in the shattered doorway behind the operative.
Arthur stepped into the room, holding a heavy brass floor lamp high above his head with both hands. With a ferocious grunt, Arthur brought the heavy metal base crashing down onto the back of the operative's helmet.
May you like
The intruder collapsed instantly, tumbling face-first onto the shattered glass without a sound.
---
