Chapter 9 - BLOOD AND MARBLE.
The rear service entrance was guarded by a single man who was paying far too much attention to his smartphone.
I slipped out from the shadows of the hedges, stepping up behind him and locking my arm around his neck in a flawless sleeper hold.
He struggled for only a few seconds before his eyes rolled back, and I lowered his limp body silently to the cold paving stones.
Swiping his electronic keycard, I bypassed the biometric lock and pushed through the heavy steel security door.
I was immediately thrust into the pristine, brightly lit service corridors of the main house.
The contrast between the freezing, muddy forest and the immaculate, clinical interior was jarring.
I moved swiftly down the hallway, keeping my pistol raised, checking every corner with lethal precision.
I could hear voices echoing from the grand foyer ahead, the harsh, commanding tones of my mother's tactical commander.
"The helicopters will be on the roof in twenty minutes; prep the package for transport," a man shouted.
My heart hammered violently against my ribs; the "package" was Lily, and my time was running out rapidly.
I stepped out of the service corridor and into the massive, marble-floored main hall of the estate.
Four heavily armed mercenaries were standing near the grand staircase, double-checking their tactical vests and submachine guns.
There was no time for stealth anymore, no time for quiet takedowns in the dark.
I stepped fully into the light, raising my weapon and taking aim at the largest man in the group.
"You're not taking my daughter anywhere," I announced, my voice cutting through the cavernous room like a whip.
The men spun around, raising their weapons, completely shocked to see an intruder standing in the heart of their fortress.
I didn't wait for them to aim; I fired three rapid shots, dropping the first two guards before they could even pull their triggers.
The remaining two mercenaries opened fire, turning the grand hall into a deafening warzone of shattered marble and flying lead.
I dove behind a massive marble pillar as a hail of bullets ripped through the air, chewing the stone to dust around me.
Glass shattered across the floor as expensive vases and antique mirrors exploded under the automatic gunfire.
I blind-fired around the pillar, forcing them to duck for cover, buying myself a precious second to assess the room.
One man was flanking left, trying to get an angle on my position, while the other provided heavy covering fire.
I waited for the covering fire to pause for a reload, tracking the rhythm of the mechanical clicks in my head.
The moment the shooting stopped, I rolled out from behind the pillar, firing from a prone position.
My bullets found their marks perfectly, neutralizing both remaining threats in a matter of seconds.
The grand hall fell eerily silent, the air thick with gray smoke and the acrid smell of burnt cordite.
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I stood up, stepping over the shattered glass and marble, my eyes fixed firmly on the top of the grand staircase.
Nothing was going to stop me from reaching the roof, not an army, and certainly not the woman who gave birth to me.
