Chapter 5
The shockwave of the blast threw Megan forward. Elias caught her instantly, his powerful arms wrapping around her and dragging her to the floor just as the reinforced window spiderwebbed from the outside pressure. He shielded both her and the baby with his broad shoulders.
"Stay down!" Elias roared over the screeching alarms. He covered her body with his own, protecting them from the dust and debris falling from the ceiling.
For a terrifying few seconds, the world was nothing but a cacophony of destruction. The heavy thud of automatic gunfire erupted from the front courtyard, echoing violently through the massive halls of the Whitmore estate. The Voss loyalists had breached the outer gates using explosives.
Elias rolled off Megan, instantly drawing his heavy pistol from his shoulder holster. His angular jaw was set in stone, his eyes burning with calculated, lethal focus. He hauled Megan to her feet, his grip firm but careful.
"Are you hurt? Is Oliver okay?" Elias demanded, quickly checking the infant who had begun to wail in terror.
"We're fine," Megan gasped, coughing through the plaster dust. She looked frantically toward the bed. Rosie was sitting up, clutching her tablet, crying loudly.
Megan ran to the bed and scooped the toddler up with her free arm, holding both children tightly against her chest. "Elias, they're inside!"
"I know. We're moving," Elias said, his face a mask of cold violence.
He dragged her out of the master suite and into the grand hallway. The luxurious mansion was transforming into a war zone. Guards were sprinting past them, shouting orders and taking up defensive positions behind marble pillars and overturned carved walnut furniture. Smoke drifted lazily through the remaining crystal chandeliers.
"Silas!" Elias bellowed as his scarred lieutenant ran up the grand staircase. "Report!"
"They used a shaped charge on the east wall," Silas yelled over the gunfire. "It’s a heavy hit squad, Boss. At least fifty men. They’re trying to push through the main foyer. We’re holding the line, but they brought heavy artillery."
"I need to get them to the underground bunker," Elias ordered, pointing at Megan and the children. "Hold the main staircase! Do not let them breach the second floor!"
"Understood!" Silas yelled, turning to fire down into the smoke-filled foyer.
"Stay behind me," Elias ordered Megan in a harsh whisper.
They moved quickly down the corridor, heading toward the hidden servants' staircase that led to the lower levels. The sounds of heavy fighting were concentrated at the front of the house, meaning the back corridors were mostly abandoned, but every shadow felt like a lethal threat.
They reached the heavy oak door leading down to the wine cellar. Elias grabbed the handle, but it refused to turn. The electronic lock had been fried by the explosion. He cursed under his breath, stepping back and shooting the lock twice. He kicked the door open, revealing the dark, winding stone staircase.
"Go down. The bunker door is at the bottom. It requires my handprint, I have to open it for you," Elias commanded, gently pushing Megan toward the stairs.
As they descended into the cold, damp darkness, the sounds of the battle above became muffled. They reached the bottom, standing before a massive steel vault door. Elias pressed his hand to the biometric scanner. The light flashed green, and the heavy door hissed open.
"Get inside," Elias said, ushering her into the stark, brightly lit room.
Before he could follow her in, Silas’s voice crackled frantically over Elias’s radio. "Boss! They breached the west wing! They are heading for the armory! If they get those weapons, we lose the house!"
Elias froze. He looked at Megan, his dark eyes fiercely determined but torn.
"I have to go back up," Elias said, stepping away from the vault. "If they take the armory, they will blow this floor to get to us."
"Elias, no! Don't leave us!" Megan begged, tears blurring her vision as she clutched the children.
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"I will come back for you. Lock the door from the inside," Elias swore, pressing a hard, desperate kiss to her forehead. "Do not open it until you hear my voice."
He turned and sprinted back up the stone steps, the darkness swallowing him. Megan hit the emergency lock button, the heavy steel door slamming shut, sealing her in absolute, terrifying silence.
