Chapter 5 - Inside the Vault
Inside the walk-in closet panic room, the air was warm and tight. Marisol held Leo, Toby, and Sammy close, her hand gently covering Sammy’s mouth to muffle his heavy breathing.
Through the heavy oak door of the closet, they heard heavy boots stomping across the bedroom floor.
Click. Rattle.
The handle of the master closet twisted. The intruders had found the entrance.
Leo’s eyes widened with sheer terror, tears pooling in his eyes as he remembered the threats from a year ago. He began to shake uncontrollably. Marisol pulled him closer, whispering fiercely into his ear, "Look at me, Leo. Look at my eyes. You are safe. I am right here. They cannot touch you."
With a brutal kick, the closet door splintered off its hinges. A large, scarred man wearing a black tactical vest stepped into the dark opening, holding a suppressed rifle. He scanned the rows of hanging clothes, a cruel grin spreading across his face.
"Well, well, well," the intruder sneered, stepping closer. "Looks like the little birds are hiding in the nest."
Before the man could raise his weapon, Marisol pushed the boys behind her, grabbed a heavy brass jewelry box from the shelf, and hurled it with blinding speed straight at the intruder's face. It caught him square on the bridge of the nose, sending him stumbling backward.
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"Run!" Marisol screamed to the boys.
Leo grabbed Toby’s hand, and Toby grabbed Sammy, scrambling past the stunned gunman out into the bedroom. But as they reached the door, another armed operative stepped out from the hallway, blocking their escape.
