Chapter 5 - Flames Over the Haven
The roar of automatic weapons and heavy engine rumbles echoed across the fifty-acre estate grounds.
"Get the children to the subterranean bunker!" Victor bellowed, his former warmth vanishing as he reverted instantly into the ruthless sovereign of Chicago.
He reached into his desk drawer, pulling out two heavy tactical handguns and throwing a bulletproof vest over his dark shirt.
"Victor!" I screamed, grabbing his arm as he moved toward the door. "They brought heavy weapons! You can't go out there alone!"
Victor stopped, looking down at my hand gripping his sleeve. He reached over, placing his large palm over mine, squeezing gently.
"This is my home, Olivia," Victor said, his storm-gray eyes flashing with lethal intent. "Nobody attacks my family and lives to see the sunrise. Stay with Dante. Lock the vault doors from the inside."
He turned and strode out of the study, his long black coat billowing behind him like the wings of a vengeful angel.
Dante grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the private elevator behind the bookcase. "Miss Olivia, move! Now!"
We sprinted through the hallway toward the nursery wing, where Rosa and the guards were already gathering the six children.
"Olivia!" Mia cried, running into my arms the moment she saw me. "There are loud noises outside! Is it thunder?"
"It’s just a storm, sweetie," I lied gently, sweeping her into my arms while Daniel gathered the twins. "We're going to play a game. We're going down to the safe room."
"I’m not scared," Daniel said, his fourteen-year-old jaw set firm, though his hands were trembling as he held Emma and Ava. "If anyone tries to hurt Noah, I'll fight them."
"You're a good brother, Daniel," I said, kissing his forehead. "But tonight, let Victor's men handle the monsters."
We hurried into the subterranean bunker—a massive, reinforced steel room built beneath twenty feet of solid bedrock, equipped with independent air filtration, security monitors, and medical supplies.
The heavy steel door sealed shut with a loud, hydraulic HISS-LOCK.
I immediately ran to the bank of security monitors mounted on the wall.
My heart plummeted into my stomach.
On the high-definition camera feeds, the front courtyard of the estate was a warzone. Two heavy armored trucks had rammed through the wrought-iron gates, crashing into the fountain. Dozens of men wearing tactical gear and crimson armbands—the symbol of the Falcone syndicate—were pouring onto the lawn, opening fire on Victor’s guards.
In the center of the chaos stood Victor.
He moved through the gunfire with terrifying efficiency, flanked by his elite bodyguards. Every shot from his weapon found its mark. He was an unstoppable force of nature, driving back the invaders with ruthless precision.
Then, on camera four, I saw something that made my blood run cold.
A man in a dark suit was stepping out of a secondary vehicle parked near the east garden wall. He carried a silver walking cane and a suppressed pistol. He was moving toward the hidden utility entrance of the mansion—a door that led directly down toward the bunker's ventilation control unit.
It was Counselor Thomas Vance—Victor’s chief legal advisor and long-time family friend.
"Dante!" I gasped, pointing at camera four. "Look!"
Dante leaned over my shoulder, his scarred face twisting into absolute shock. "Thomas? That bastard... he’s the mole! He’s the one who leaked the boss’s location!"
"He’s going to turn off the bunker’s oxygen supply," I realized with sudden, horrifying clarity. "He knows the override codes!"
Dante grabbed his assault rifle. "I'll go up there and kill him."
"No," I said, stepping between Dante and the door, pulling the silver revolver Victor had given me earlier from my waistband. "You stay here and protect the children. If Thomas gets past you, the kids have no defense."
"Miss Olivia, it’s too dangerous!" Dante protested.
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"I’ve survived eighteen months in the shadows, Dante," I said, my voice hardening with an absolute determination I didn't know I possessed. "I’m not letting anyone take this haven away from these children."
Before Dante could stop me, I unlocked the auxiliary maintenance door, slipped into the dark stone corridor, and headed up toward the surface.
