Chapter 9 - The Chase Through the Estate
The heavy iron door of the estate’s underground server room hung off its hinges, a wisp of grey smoke curling out into the hallway.
Joseph stepped across the threshold with his weapon drawn, his eyes scanning the rows of glowing server racks for any sign of movement.
“He’s downloading the encrypted ledger backups,” Marcus said, kneeling beside a smoking terminal with a severed fiber-optic cable.
Audrey walked in behind them, her sharp eyes noticing a discarded radio transmitter sitting on top of a steel desk.
“He didn't just steal the files,” Audrey pointed out, picking up the transmitter by its edges. “He was broadcasting our exact location to someone outside.”
Joseph grabbed the transmitter from her hand, smashing it beneath his boot heel with cold fury.
“Marcus, lock down every gate and perimeter sensor on the property,” Joseph ordered. “Nobody leaves this estate alive.”
Before Marcus could reach the main comms console, a red emergency strobe light flashed violently across the bunker ceiling.
Intruders at Sector Four Gate, a computerized voice echoed through the estate’s speaker system. Perimeter breach confirmed.
“It’s a second strike team,” Marcus cursed, drawing his spare magazine. “They coordinated the ambush at the athletic club just to draw us out while Julian hacked the mainframe.”
Joseph turned sharply toward the corridor, his paternal instincts overriding his tactical mind as he thought of Rose upstairs.
“Rose!” Joseph shouted, breaking into a full sprint back toward the main residence.
Audrey followed close behind him, her sneakers pounding against the polished marble floors as smoke began to billow from the East wing.
When they burst into the grand living room, Elena was cowering behind the velvet sofa, but Rose was nowhere to be seen.
“Elena! Where is Rose?” Joseph demanded, grabbing the terrified housekeeper by the shoulders and lifting her off her feet.
“Julian... he took her!” Elena sobbed, pointing a shaking finger toward the courtyard terrace doors. “He said if you want her back, you bring the black ledger to the boathouse!”
Joseph let go of Elena, his face turning a terrifying shade of pale white as the absolute worst-case scenario materialized before his eyes.
“He’s using her as leverage again,” Audrey whispered, her hands balling into tight fists. “Just like Viktor twenty years ago.”
Marcus jogged up behind them, carrying a tactical assault rifle and a spare Kevlar vest.
“Boss, the boathouse is surrounded by marshland,” Marcus warned. “If we rush it blindly, they’ll execute her before we clear the tree line.”
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Joseph looked down at the black ledger clutched in his hand, the very book Audrey had signed just hours before.
“We aren't going to rush it,” Joseph said, his voice dropping into a cold, calculated whisper. “We are going to hunt.”
