Chapter 10 - Stand at the Cabin**
With tears streaming down her face, Clara pulled the heavy rug back in the bedroom, lifted the wooden trapdoor, and slung the laptop bag over her shoulder. She looked back one last time at Arthur, who stood near the cabin door, dual pistols raised, staring out into the blinding white light of the spotlights.
"Thank you, Arthur," she whispered.
"Run," he commanded softly.
Clara slipped down into the dark, damp tunnel, closing the trapdoor behind her just as the front windows of the cabin shattered inward under a barrage of flashbang grenades and tear gas.
The world above exploded into chaos. The cabin shook with the thunderous roar of gunfire. Arthur moved like a ghost through the smoke-filled room, utilizing every piece of cover he had built into the log walls. He fired precise, controlled shots, aiming only to disarm and disable the tactical operatives sweeping through the front entrance, delaying their advance step by step.
Agent Victoria Vance stepped onto the wooden porch outside, wearing a Kevlar vest over her suit, watching the breach team move in. "Do not kill him unless necessary!" she shouted through her radio headset. "Secure the laptop! Stop that transmission!"
Inside, Arthur took a round to his left shoulder, the impact slamming him back against the stone fireplace. Blood seeped rapidly through his grey suit jacket, but he didn't drop his weapon. He gritted his teeth, firing three more rounds to suppress two operatives pushing through the kitchen.
He looked at his watch. Three minutes had passed since Clara went into the tunnel.
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"Just two more minutes..." Arthur muttered to himself, his vision blurring slightly from blood loss. He loaded his final magazine, standing tall amidst the fire, smoke, and shattered glass—a solitary guardian making his final stand.
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