Chapter 42
The night descended with an eerie, oppressive silence. The Tuscan countryside, usually alive with the sounds of crickets and rustling leaves, was dead quiet. Ryan stood in the command center, monitoring the perimeter cameras. Silas was beside him, coordinating the defense with their small but highly trained security detail.
Suddenly, the monitors flickered and went dark. A massive electromagnetic pulse (EMP) had knocked out the estate's primary power grid. The backup generators immediately kicked in, casting the command center in a dim, red emergency glow.
"They're making their move," Silas growled, racking the bolt of his assault rifle.
Gunfire erupted from the southern perimeter. The sound of automatic weapons echoed through the valley, followed by the deep, concussive booms of explosive breaching charges. Marcus's mercenaries were systematically dismantling the outer defenses.
"Hold the line at the courtyard," Ryan ordered over the tactical radio, his voice calm and authoritative. "Do not let them breach the main house."
Ryan moved swiftly through the darkened corridors of the villa, his suppressed pistol raised. He reached the grand foyer just as the heavy oak front doors buckled under the force of a battering ram. The doors burst open, and a squad of heavily armed mercenaries poured into the hall.
Ryan didn't hesitate. He engaged the enemy with deadly precision, his shots finding their marks in the dim light. He moved like a shadow, using the architecture of the villa to his advantage, flanking the mercenaries and taking them down before they even realized he was there.
But the sheer number of attackers was overwhelming. For every mercenary Ryan dropped, two more took his place. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid smell of gunpowder. Ryan fought his way to the main staircase, providing cover fire for his men as they retreated to the upper floors.
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"Boss, they've breached the east wing!" a guard shouted over the radio. "They're heading for the cellar!"
Ryan's blood ran cold. The cellar. Where Lily and Mia were hiding. He abandoned the staircase and sprinted toward the kitchen, his only thought to reach the girls before Marcus's men did.
