Chapter 3 - Under SiegeThe first mortar shell hit the north wing with a concussive roar that rattled the crystal chandelier in Daniel’s study and blew out the reinforced stained-glass windows in a glittering cascade of emerald and ruby shards.
"Get down!" Daniel roared, lunging forward and tackling me to the hardwood floor just as a second explosion rocked the courtyard below.
Plaster rained down from the ceiling, mixing with the acrid smell of sulfur and smoke. Alarms wailed throughout the sprawling Manhattan estate, joining the chaotic pop-pop-pop of automatic gunfire echoing from the front gates.
"They're hitting us with heavy armaments," Victor shouted over the din, drawing his sidearm as he scrambled toward the door. "Porter must have bought out half of our outer perimeter guards! We're surrounded!"
Daniel pushed himself up, offering me a strong, calloused hand to help me to my feet. His dark eyes were blazing with cold, calculating fury. He didn't look panicked; he looked like a general whose army had just been challenged on home soil.
"Victor, rally the inner detail," Daniel commanded, his voice slicing through the chaos. "Secure the armory in the basement and get the encrypted communication array online. Call the docks—tell Marcus to bring three companies up Manhattan immediately."
"And the girl, Boss?" Victor asked, glancing sideways at me. "She's Marchetti's daughter. If Porter's men take this house, they'll use her as leverage against both you and her father."
"She stays with me," Daniel said flatly, leaving no room for argument. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a heavy, matte-black Sig Sauer pistol, checking the magazine with a practiced click before handing it to me. "Can you shoot?"
I took the weapon, feeling its familiar, comforting weight in my palm. "My father taught me how to clear a room before I learned how to drive."
A dangerous, appreciative smirk touched Daniel’s lips. "Good. Because we're going to need to clear several."
The lights in the study flickered and died, plunging the room into shadow save for the flickering amber glow of the burning North Wing outside. The backup generator kicked in a second later, bathing the hallways in a sickly, pulsating red emergency light.
"Stay behind me," Daniel ordered, stepping out into the corridor with his rifle raised.
We moved with tactical precision, navigating the labyrinth of the Ashford estate. Gunfire echoed up from the grand staircase as Arthur Porter’s mercenaries breached the lower foyer. Shouts, shattering glass, and the heavy thud of combat boots filled the air.
Suddenly, a shadow detached itself from the gloom around the corner ahead of us—a masked mercenary holding a suppressed submachine gun, leveling it right at Daniel’s chest.
Before Daniel could raise his weapon, I stepped out from behind his shoulder, raised my Sig Sauer, and fired twice.
Bang. Bang.
The mercenary dropped instantly, lifeless before he hit the carpet.
Daniel shot me a sideways glance, his eyebrows raised in genuine surprise. "Remind me never to play poker with Vincent Marchetti's daughter."
"Save your compliments for after we survive," I snapped, stepping over the fallen gunman and keeping my sights trained on the dark corridor ahead.
We reached the heavy steel doors leading to the panic room and subterranean tunnels beneath the mansion. Victor was already there, holding the keypad open, waiting for us.
"Boss, the tunnels are clear," Victor reported frantically. "We can get to the river safehouse—"
"No," Daniel interrupted, stopping dead in his tracks. He turned around, looking back toward the burning heart of the mansion. "If we run now, Arthur Porter wins. He takes my home, my city, and my empire."
"Then what do we do?" I asked, lowering my weapon slightly as I looked up into his fierce, unyielding eyes.
Daniel pulled a heavy set of master keys from his pocket and tossed them to Victor. "Take the cipher and get the files out through the tunnels. Alert my father’s old captains. Tell them the Ashford name isn't dead yet."
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"And you?" Victor demanded, horror crossing his face. "Boss, you can't stay here alone!"
"I'm not alone," Daniel said softly, turning his dark gaze back to me. A slow, terrifyingly confident smile spread across his face. "Emily and I have a city to take back."
