Chapter 4 - Shadows in the Smoke
Through the billowing white smoke, figures clad in black tactical gear poured into the grand salon, automatic weapons raised and sights locked on the center of the room. Officer Ryan spun around, drawing his firearm with a shout, ""Police! Stand down!"" But the intruders didn't identify themselves; they opened fire with silenced weapons, instantly dropping one of the secondary officers near the doorway. Panic erupted. Ethan lunged forward, tackling Claire and the baby to the floor just as a volley of bullets shattered the crystal chandelier above them. Glass rained down like diamond dust, mixing with the dust of the ruined rug. Claire shielded the infant with her own body, gasping for air as the room filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder. Ethan didn't hesitate; he dragged them both behind the heavy mahogany desk, his eyes darting to the emergency escape hatch hidden beneath the Persian rug. ""They aren't here for the police,"" Ethan yelled over the gunfire, his voice laced with venom. ""They're here to erase the lineage.""
