Part 26
The tranquility of the Mediterranean paradise was shattered on the tenth night.
A sharp, electronic chime echoed through the master bedroom, waking Adrian instantly. He sat up in bed, his hand automatically reaching for the silenced pistol on the nightstand before his eyes were even fully open. Beside him, Emma stirred, blinking against the darkness.
"Stay here," Adrian ordered in a low, commanding tone as he threw back the sheets and slipped into a dark robe.
He strode down the hallway to the security command center, where Hector was already staring at a wall of glowing monitors. The screens displayed real-time thermal imaging of the villa's perimeter walls and the rocky cliffs below.
"What do we have, Hector?" Adrian demanded, his voice cold as ice.
"Three unregistered watercraft entered the cove five minutes ago, boss," Hector replied, tapping a keyboard. "Thermal imaging shows twelve armed operatives scaling the western cliff face. They're bypassing the standard motion sensors. These aren't street thugs. They're moving with military precision."
Adrian's eyes narrowed as he watched the glowing heat signatures advance through the darkness of the estate's outer gardens. "Volkov's European backers. They found us faster than I anticipated. Someone must have leaked the coordinates of this villa."
"Could be a mole in the old shipping network," Hector suggested, checking the magazine of his assault rifle. "What's the play?"
"Lock down the nursery. Put Leo in the safe room beneath the floorboards," Adrian commanded, his tactical mind clicking into gear with terrifying efficiency. "Wake the perimeter guards. We don't let a single one of them cross the terrace."
"Adrian!"
Adrian turned around to see Emma standing in the doorway of the command center. She wasn't cowering; instead, she had donned a pair of dark tactical pants and a tight jacket, her face set in a mask of grim determination. In her hand, she held the Glock that Adrian had returned to her earlier that week.
"I told you to stay in the room, Emma," Adrian said, stepping toward her to push her out of harm's way.
"I'm not sitting in a closet while people try to kill us," Emma said fiercely, stepping past him to look at the monitors. "Look at the screen, Adrian. Two of them are separating from the main group. They're targeting the eastern wing—the nursery wing. They know where Leo is."
Adrian's blood ran cold. The threat to his son ignited a primal, lethal rage inside him. He looked at Emma, seeing the absolute lack of fear in her eyes, and realized that trying to shield her would only hinder her strength.
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"Fine," Adrian growled, grabbing a heavy submachine gun from the wall rack and tossing a spare magazine to her. "You stay with me. We cut them off before they reach the courtyard. Hector, defend the nursery with your life."
"On it, boss," Hector said, disappearing into the shadows of the hallway.
