Chapter 6 - THE STORM BREAKS
Saturday night arrived with a violent thunderstorm that battered the city of Chicago. Heavy rain slammed against the reinforced glass windows of the Vale estate, while lightning illuminated the dark, fog-drenched gardens below.
At 10:00 p.m., Adrian and his heavy tactical force departed the estate in a fleet of dark armored vehicles, heading toward the harbor where the Moretti leadership was expecting an ambush.
Inside the nursery, Elena sat beside Liam’s crib, her hand resting on the silver tracking bracelet around her wrist. The mansion was eerily quiet, save for the rhythmic rumble of thunder outside.
Suddenly, the lights inside the suite flickered three times before shutting off completely, plunging the nursery into total darkness.
The emergency backup generators failed to engage.
Elena immediately stood up, picking up Liam from his crib and clutching him tightly to her chest. “Guards!” she called out to the two security officers posted inside the room.
Before the guards could respond, the electronic locks on the suite doors clicked loudly and slid open.
Three figures dressed in dark raincoats stepped inside, holding suppressed pistols.
"Clear!" a voice commanded.
A sudden, muted pop echoed through the room. One of Adrian’s bodyguards crumpled to the floor. The second guard fired back twice, but was quickly overwhelmed by three quick shots, collapsing onto the carpet.
Elena gasped in horror, backing toward the far corner of the nursery, holding the baby as securely as she could.
A flashlight beam cut through the darkness, illuminating her face. Behind the light stood Mrs. Gable, accompanied by Dr. Marcus Reed and a tall, scarred mercenary wearing tactical gear.
“Well, Nurse Marlowe,” Mrs. Gable said, her voice dripping with cruel satisfaction. “You turned out to be far more troublesome than we anticipated.”
“You won't get away with this, Mrs. Gable,” Elena said, her voice shaking with adrenaline as she subtly slid her thumb over the emergency button on her bracelet and pressed it firmly. “Adrian knows everything. He’s already set a trap at the harbor.”
Dr. Reed chuckled darkly, holding a syringe filled with a clear liquid. “The harbor was a distraction, my dear nurse. We knew Adrian was monitoring our calls. We wanted him out of the house so we could finish the job here.”
Elena’s blood ran cold. The harbor meeting had been a feint. The real target had always been the estate itself!
“Give us the baby, Elena,” Dr. Reed said, stepping forward with the syringe. “If you hand him over quietly, we’ll let you walk out of here alive.”
“Over my dead body,” Elena spat furiously, backing against the wall.
“That can easily be arranged,” the scarred mercenary said, raising his suppressed weapon aimed directly at Elena’s head.
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Before he could pull the trigger, a deafening explosion shattered the floor-to-ceiling glass windows behind them!
Heavy reinforced glass sprayed across the nursery as dark tactical figures descended from ropes attached to the roof above!
