Chapter 7 - The Gates of Lake Forest
At 5:15 AM, thick fog rolled off Lake Michigan, enveloping the sprawling eight-acre estate of Liam Gallagher in Lake Forest. High wrought-iron gates stood locked, flanked by armed guards pacing the perimeter with German Shepherds. Searchlights swept across the manicured lawns every thirty seconds.
Inside the opulent wood-paneled library of the mansion, Liam Gallagher paced like a caged beast, a crystal tumbler of scotch shaking in his grip. His face was pale, his expensive silk tie loosened around his collar.
“Where the hell is Callahan?!” Liam roared at his personal bodyguard. “And why isn't Declan answering his damn radio?!”
“The phones at the pier are completely dead, Mr. Gallagher,” the bodyguard stammered, checking his tactical tablet. “The northern checkpoint went dark ten minutes ago. Something is wrong.”
Suddenly, the night sky lit up with a blinding flash of white light followed by a deafening roar that rattled the mansion's crystal chandeliers.
The front security gate didn’t just open—it disintegrated. A modified dump truck loaded with steel girders had rammed straight through the reinforced barrier, crushing the guard shacks instantly. Behind it came three black SUVs, their engines roaring like thunder.
“They’re here!” the bodyguard screamed, drawing his weapon. “Russo is here!”
Chaos erupted across the estate. Gallagher’s perimeter guards opened fire wildly into the fog, but Victor’s tactical team deployed military smoke canisters, blinding the mansion’s high-powered searchlights. Through the gray haze, Victor moved like a ghost of vengeance.
He carried an automatic rifle, firing short, controlled bursts that eliminated Gallagher’s snipers positioned on the mansion's marble balconies. Marco swept the lower terrace with lethal precision, driving Gallagher’s remaining mercenaries back toward the grand foyer.
Victor kicked the massive oak front doors open, sending splinters flying across the marble entryway. Two guards attempted to raise their weapons from behind the sweeping spiral staircase; Victor dropped them both with pinpoint double-taps before they could acquire a target.
The lavish mansion, built on decades of extortion, human trafficking, and betrayal, was turned into an abattoir within minutes. Victor walked across the shattered glass and marble floors, his boots leaving dark footprints in the wreckage.
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Upstairs, behind a pair of reinforced steel-core double doors, Liam Gallagher was loading a silver-plated revolver with trembling fingers.
Victor stopped outside the door. He didn't bother using explosives. He simply raised his boot and delivered a thunderous kick directly against the lock mechanism, blowing the double doors wide open.
