Chapter 11 - Smoke and Ash
Flames began to lick at the western wing of the estate as incendiary rounds from the treeline peppered the cedar siding. The tactical team wasn't just here to assassinate; they were here to burn the estate to the ground.
Upstairs in the reinforced panic room, Mila clutched her golden retriever puppy tightly to her chest, her big dark eyes wide with terror. Josie wrapped her arms around both Mila and Liam, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs.
Through the heavy steel monitor feeds, Josie watched the security cameras flicker back to life.
She saw Constantine moving through the smoky hallways of their burning home like an apparition of vengeance. He took down a third mercenary near the grand piano, using the shadows and the roaring fire as his cover. But the thermal feeds outside showed four more operatives closing in on the front entrance, led by a tall, silver-haired man walking with absolute, terrifying calm.
Julian Vance.
"He's going to kill him," Liam whispered, staring at the screen in horror.
"No," Josie said, her voice suddenly hardening, shedding every ounce of fear. She looked down at Mila, then looked at the heavy manual override lever for the safe room door. "Constantine protected us. Now it's our turn."
Before Liam could stop her, Josie hit the release switch. The heavy steel door hissed open, letting in the smell of wood smoke and cordite.
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"Josie, what are you doing?!" Liam cried out.
"I'm ending this," she said fiercely. She grabbed a heavy tactical shotgun left behind by one of the neutralized operatives in the hallway. "Stay with Mila. Do not open this door for anyone but me."
