"Five minutes, then I burn the building down. Decide quickly."
Diane’s voice over the loudspeaker was calm and patient, like she had all the ti in the world.
We have five minutes to decide between surrendering and firing, but neither option ends well.
"Status," I bark to Luca.
"There were twenty operatives, maybe more. Surrounding the estate with professional and military tactics. We’re outnumbered three to one."
"FBI?"
"Timothy says they’d be here in thirty minutes."
"We don’t have thirty minutes."
Katherine’s with Elliot upstairs, keeping him calm, while Bella’s securing the civilians - Susan, Rose, Will, Ted just arrived before the lights cut out.
"We hold position," I announce. "Defend until reinforcents arrive."
"Tony-" Luca starts.
"We hold, and no one dies tonight."
I was organizing defense. The windows, doors, and stairwells... every entry point covered.
Luca’s people were at key positions, but we needed more.
Then I see him, Jackson Wade. The Marine who helped at Rikers.
"Jackson? What are you doing here?"
"Luca hired and my boys and for security detail. Good timing, huh?" He’s grinning despite the situation. "How many Marines you got?"
"Six. All forr combatants are already."
"Then let’s use them. This estate-" I look around. It’s old but solid and built like a fortress. "Thick walls with limited entry points. It’s defensible."
"We hold here until the FBI arrives."
Jackson nods. "Oo-rah. Let’s do this."
Diane’s voice ca on again, taunting now.
"Tony Marvin. The great mob boss turned legitimate businessman. How’s that working out?"
I ignore her and focus on positions.
"You’ve lost your consulting firm, your reputation. Soon it will be your company and your freedom."
Katherine appeared beside with a weapon in hand, her face set.
"Where do you need ?"
"Safe room with Elliot."
"No. I fight."
"Katherine-"
"Don’t." Her voice is steel. "I’m done being a victim, and I’m done hiding. I fight back."
I see the determination in her eyes, the rage beneath.
"North window. Cover approach from that angle."
She moves into position, seemingly competent and confident.
Two years ago, she’d never held a weapon. Now she’s defending us with Marine precision.
Equal parts both terrifying and impressive.
Diane was still talking: "And Katherine? Sweet Katherine, who thought she could save people. How many died because of her?"
Katherine flinches, and I see it.
"Don’t listen," I tell her. "That’s what she wants."
"I know, but she’s not wrong."
"She’s entirely wrong. Those deaths are on her. Not you."
Before Katherine can respond, gunfire erupts from fast wing, that’s from Diane’s people breaching.
"Contact!" Jackson shouts. "East side!"
We’re moving. Luca’s people were engaging with Jackson, coordinating the Marines.
Firefight started in the corridors. Close quarters and brutal.
I drop two attackers, Luca gets another with Jackson’s people holding the line.
But we’re taking damage, three of Luca’s people were injured, and one of Jackson’s Marines was down.
Dead.
"Fall back!" I order. "Reinforce interior positions!"
We retreat, holding inner rooms and using the estate’s layout to our advantage.
Diane’s people withdraw, their first assault repelled.
"She’s testing us," Jackson says. "Finding weak points. Next wave will be worse."
"How long until the FBI?" I ask Luca.
"Twenty-two minutes."
An eternity in a firefight.
Katherine was at the north window. I watch her drop two attackers trying to breach from that side.
Clean shots and efficient. No hesitation.
She’s beco this - a fighter and a survivor.
I’m proud and terrified in equal asure.
Bella’s voice through comms. "Tony, I’m analyzing Diane’s attack pattern. She’s thodical and testing each entry point systematically."
"Looking for weak spots," I finish.
"But she’s also staying back. She’s not risking herself, only commanding from distance."
"So where is she?"
Ted’s voice joins in. "I can trace the loudspeaker signal. Give two minutes."
I check on the civilians. The safe room is an interior, reinforced. Elliot’s there with Susan and Rose.
Through the door, I hear Rose. "Elliot, can you help ? I need soone to organize these ergency supplies."
Smart, giving him a task. Sothing to focus on besides the chaos.
Elliot’s voice, calr now: "These should be categorized by type - dical, food, and water. This is an inefficient organization."
"Then fix it, please."
Good. Keep him busy and calm.
Ted was back on comms. "Found her. At the mobile command center in an armored van. She’s three hundred yards south, just outside the property line."
"If we can get to her-" Katherine starts.
"We can’t leave the building," I interrupt. "That’s what she wants. We leave, we’re exposed."
"But if we don’t stop her, she’ll eventually overrun us."
Stalemate.
Then Will Grant speaks up. "There’s a tunnel. It’s an old prohibition-era smuggling route."
Everyone turned.
"I did the real estate deal with Susan’s family years ago. I saw the blueprints, and it goes from the basent to the old carriage house, which is two hundred yards from the main building."
"We could flank her position," I realize.
"Small team. Quick strike. While she’s focused on the siege."
It’s risky but possible.
"I’ll go. Jackson, two of your best."
"I’m coming," Katherine says.
"Katherine-"
"Don’t even start. Together, rember?"
I know that look. There’s no point arguing.
"Fine, but you follow my lead."
"Whatever."
The tunnel is exactly what you’d expect, dark and cramped, an ancient brick slling of earth and mold.
Tony, Katherine, Jackson, and two Marines were moving through darkness lit only by flashlights.
"This is romantic," Katherine whispers. "Skulking through a prohibition tunnel during a siege."
I almost laughed at that statent. "Our lives are insane."
"Completely, but at least we’re insane together."
"You two are weird," Jackson mutters from behind.
"We get that a lot," Katherine and I say simultaneously.
It was a brief mont of levity in the darkness during a battle for our lives.
Because that’s who we are now.
We erged from the carriage house and saw Diane’s command vehicle visible. It’s an armored van, with her guards posted, a kind of sophisticated setup, but they’re facing the estate and weren’t expecting an attack from behind.
"On my mark," Jackson whispers. "Three, two, one. Go."
His Marines provide cover, suppressing fire in a professional and coordinated line.
Katherine and I move on the van, breach the door. Inside was a command center with multiple screens and communications equipnt.
But Diane’s not there; it was just an operator, quite young and smiling.
"Where is she?" I demand.
"You fell for it. She’s not here. She’s never here."
Katherine’s face goes white. "It’s a trap."
The screen activates, and we see Diane’s face in a live feed.
"Hello, Tony and Katherine. Enjoying your little flanking maneuver?"
I felt chills down my bones.
"While you’re out here playing hero, I’m in there."
The cara angle shifts to the interior of Susan’s estate.
The safe room.
Diane was inside with Elliot, Susan, and Rose.
And a gun was pointed at Elliot’s head.
"No," Katherine whispers.
"You have a choice," Diane says calmly. "Surrender to my people outside, or I kill Katherine’s brother."
"You have sixty seconds."
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