Chapter 13 - Flames engulf the mountain safe house while a daring rescue mission unfolds beneath the blazing timber rafters tonight.
The mountain lodge roared with leaping orange flames as fire consumed the dry wooden beams rapidly.
Thick black smoke billowed into the night sky, obscuring the pale moonlight filtering through the pines.
Viktor Vance stood on the front lawn watching the blaze, believing Julian had perished in the inferno.
"Secure the perimeter and make sure no hard drives survived the fire," Viktor ordered his remaining men.
Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the rear cellar hatch beneath the burning floorboards.
Julian burst out of the smoke-filled ground hatch, coughing violently while shielding Elena and Lily.
Elena’s emerald green dress was smudged with soot, and little Lily was crying hysterically in her arms.
"There he is! Shoot them!" Viktor screamed, pointing his assault rifle directly at the escaping family.
Julian shoved Elena and Lily behind a rocky outcropping just as bullets chipped the stone surround.
He raised his tactical rifle, squeezing the trigger with cold, calculated precision until the magazine clicked dry.
Two mercenaries dropped to the grass, while Viktor scrambled behind an armored tactical transport vehicle.
"You're dead, Julian! Your father will own your ashes!" Viktor roared over the crackling fire.
Julian didn't waste ammunition; he grabbed a fallen smoke canister and hurled it under the transport vehicle.
Thick purple smoke erupted beneath the engine block, blinding the remaining guards completely.
"Run toward the ATV trail! Don't look back!" Julian commanded Elena, grabbing her hand firmly.
They sprinted down the steep mountain path toward the hidden garage where an all-terrain vehicle waited.
Viktor fired blindly into the dark forest, missing them by mere inches as trees splintered around them.
They reached the ATV, and Julian hastily strapped Lily safely between them on the heavy-duty seat.
He fired up the engine with a roaring rev, tearing down the mountain trail away from the burning inferno.
May you like
Behind them, the multi-million-dollar mountain safe house collapsed inward in a thunderous shower of sparks.
---
Related Stories
