Chapter 14 - The Last Stand in the Hallway
Three heavy-set men in tactical black gear and riot helmets poured through the broken front doorway, their assault rifles raised and sweeping the room with lethal precision. Mark shoved Arthur and Elena down behind the sturdy oak dining table, spinning around the corner of the hallway with his 9mm pistol raised. He fired twice in rapid succession; the silenced shots popped rhythmically, striking the lead operative's ceramic chest plates and sending him stumbling backward into his teammates.
"Cover the back exit!" Mark roared over the chaos, keeping up a steady suppression fire that forced the tactical team to take cover behind the living room sofas.
From beneath the dining table, little Lily began to cry softly, clutching her gray stuffed rabbit so tight its stuffing threatened to spill from a seam. Elena crawled over to her, pulling the little girl into a protective embrace while tears streamed freely down her pale cheeks.
"Mark, the roof hatch in the master bedroom!" Arthur yelled, dragging himself up from the floor and pointing down the dark corridor toward the back of the house. "It leads to the utility ladder. We can make the tree line!"
Mark fired his last three rounds down the hallway to keep the tactical team pinned behind the sofa, then dropped the empty magazine onto the Persian rug with a dull thud. He sprinted backward toward his family, his eyes never leaving the living room archway where the black-helmeted operatives were already regrouping for a final push.
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"Move! Now!" Mark screamed, grabbing Lily into his strong arms while taking Elena's hand with the other, leading them in a desperate, breakneck dash toward the master bedroom at the end of the hall as heavy gunfire chewed up the drywall right behind their heels.
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