Chapter 5 - Fire in the Night
A week passed in a state of tense, unspoken negotiation.
Clara was given a massive suite down the hall from Victor.
She was provided with catered meals, new clothes, and unrestricted access to the estate's library.
She was also provided with two armed guards who followed her everywhere except the bathroom.
Victor was recovering with frightening speed.
By the seventh day, he was conducting business from his study, running his empire with ruthless precision.
That night, Clara was sitting in the massive kitchen, drinking tea, when the estate's alarm sirens began to scream.
The lights in the house instantly cut out, plunging the mansion into absolute darkness.
Gunfire erupted from the front gates.
It was not a random drive-by shooting.
It was the heavy, rhythmic sound of automatic assault rifles.
Silas burst into the kitchen, a tactical flashlight in one hand and a submachine gun in the other.
"The Colombians," Silas barked.
"They brought a small army."
"We need to get you to the panic room."
Clara didn't argue.
She followed Silas through the dark corridors, the sound of breaking glass and shouting echoing around them.
Suddenly, the kitchen door exploded off its hinges.
Three men in tactical gear poured into the hallway, raising their weapons.
Silas fired back, dropping two of them instantly.
The third man aimed his rifle directly at Clara.
Before he could pull the trigger, a massive shadow stepped out of the adjacent study.
Victor Kaine moved faster than a man his size should be able to.
He didn't use a gun.
He drove a hunting knife directly up through the attacker's body armor, twisting the blade with lethal efficiency.
The man dropped to the floor, dead before he landed.
Victor turned to Clara, his white dress shirt splattered with fresh blood.
He was breathing heavily, his dark eyes wide with an adrenaline-fueled rage.
"Are you hurt?" he demanded, grabbing her by the shoulders.
"No," Clara gasped, her heart pounding furiously.
Victor looked down.
A dark red stain was blooming rapidly across his own bandages.
The sudden, violent movement had ripped his stitches wide open.
He staggered backward, leaning heavily against the oak paneled wall.
"Silas," Victor ordered through gritted teeth.
May you like
"Secure the perimeter."
"Clara, get me to the medical suite."
