Chapter 6 - Betrayal in the Hall
Before Mara could process his words, the house plunged into pitch-black darkness.
The backup generators didn't kick on. The hum of the air conditioning died instantly, leaving behind a terrifying, cavernous silence.
Adrian was on his feet in less than a second. His weapon was in his hand before Mara even realized he was armed.
"Stay down," Adrian commanded in a sharp whisper, pressing her flat against the mattress and pulling the heavy comforter over her. "Behind the bed frame. Don't move."
A muffled gunshot echoed from the ground floor, followed by the dull thud of a body hitting hardwood.
"Owen?" Adrian whispered into his radio earpiece. Only static answered.
Adrian cursed under his breath. The perimeter had been breached, and the failure of the automated backup power meant someone on the inside had cut the main breaker lines directly from the basement bunker.
Footsteps hurried down the hallway toward the master bedroom. Adrian slid behind the heavy mahogany door, his body coiled like a spring.
The door knob turned. A flashlight beam sliced through the darkness, followed by the silhouette of a man holding a silenced submachine gun.
"Boss?" a familiar voice whispered.
It was Owen Rourke.
Adrian stepped out of the shadows, his gun leveled directly at Owen's forehead. "Why are the generators dead, Owen?"
Owen froze. The beam of his flashlight trembled, sweeping across the floor before catching Adrian’s unblinking eyes.
"They... they hit the south gate, sir," Owen stammered, his finger twitching near the trigger of his weapon. "Vance's men. They cut the primary line."
"The backup generator runs on an isolated hydraulic loop behind two biometric doors," Adrian said coldly. "The only two people with access to that switch are Grant Mercer and you. And Grant is currently landing in Bangor."
Owen’s face twisted in the dark. The loyal, professional mask dissolved, replaced by a desperate, ugly grimace.
May you like
"Vance offered twenty million, Adrian," Owen snarled, raising his weapon. "You've gone soft over this girl. You cancelled a multi-million-dollar deal in Maine over a pregnant waitress!"
Owen moved to fire, but Adrian was faster.
