Chapter 8 - Shadows Approaching
The crimson alarm pulsed rhythmically, casting eerie shadows across the grand study. Victor’s demeanor instantly shifted from remorseful protector to lethal tactical commander. He pulled a heavy-duty submachine gun from a hidden wall compartment, checking the magazine with practiced efficiency. “They found us,” Victor muttered under his breath, his eyes locking onto Elena with fierce urgency. He grabbed her by the shoulders, steering her firmly toward the secure panic room hidden behind the mahogany bookshelves. “Get the boy inside. Lock the heavy steel door from the inside and do not come out until I unlock it from the outside.” Elena shook her head, terrified to leave him, but the sound of heavy automatic gunfire echoing from the front gates sealed her resolve.
She rushed back into the guest suite, scooping up the sleeping toddler and the blue blanket while clutching the green toy dinosaur in her pocket. As she secured herself and the boy inside the cold, steel-reinforced panic room, the heavy door hissed shut, sealing them in absolute safety—while leaving Victor alone to face an army of shadows advancing through the mansion’s lower levels.
