Chapter 11
The heavy smoke from the breached oak doors billowed into the corridor, catching the erratic red strobes of the security system. The three mercenaries, clad in dark tactical gear with unmarked faces, raised their rifles as Callum stepped into the threshold. They did not expect the head of the Whitestone syndicate to intercept them personally, let alone without a dedicated tactical squad.
Callum did not seek cover. He fired with blinding, explosive speed. The sharp, deafening cracks of his customized automatic weapon echoed through the narrow hallway. He moved with robotic, surgical precision, dropping the first two mercenaries instantly with flawless headshots before they could even squeeze their triggers.
The third mercenary fired a frantic, sweeping burst. Bullets shattered the classical artwork lining the ivory-paneled walls and chewed into the mahogany wainscoting.
Callum shoved Nessa violently back behind the thick corner of the wall, absorbing the remaining distance between himself and the final hostile. He fired twice into the mercenary's chest, neutralizing the threat. The man crumpled to the thick rug, his weapon clattering uselessly against the floorboards.
"Are you harmed?" Callum asked, his voice returning to a low, vibrating hum of absolute control. He didn't look at Nessa, his cold, observant eyes scanning the smoke-filled corridor for secondary threats.
"I'm fine," Nessa gasped, clutching the wall, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"Stay behind me," Callum commanded softly.
He advanced down the hallway, stepping effortlessly over the bleeding mercenaries. He reached the heavy, reinforced door of Ellis's nursery. The door was intact, the deadbolts holding firm against the explosive breach nearby.
Callum keyed the biometric pad. The lock hissed open.
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Inside the nursery, the starry-night projector was still spinning, casting a surreal, gentle glow over the room. Ellis was huddled under his heavy duvet, his hands clamped over his ears, trembling violently as the sounds of war raged outside his window.
"Daddy!" Ellis shrieked, scrambling out from under the covers when he saw the towering, armed silhouette in the doorway.
