Chapter 4 - The Iron Gates of Ashwood
The Ashwood Nursing Home loomed against the stormy night sky like an old gothic castle from a storybook, except there was nothing magical about it. Iron spiked fences surrounded the manicured lawns, and security cameras swept back and forth across the brick facade like mechanical vultures.
Our Mercedes didn't slow down as we approached the main gates. Instead, two more black SUVs fell in behind us from side streets, their headlights extinguished, operating in perfect, silent coordination.
"Boss, we're in position," a voice crackled over the secure radio on Viktor's dashboard.
"Breach the south loading dock," Andrew ordered quietly into his own comms unit. "No civilian casualties. Anyone wearing Vanguard security gear who resists goes down. I want Marcus Thorne alive."
The car came to a screeching halt near the rear service entrance of the facility. Before the dust could even settle, the doors opened on both sides, and men in dark tactical gear poured out of the vehicles like ghosts. They moved with terrifying efficiency, cutting through chain-link fences and disabling security panels with portable override devices.
Andrew looked down at me before stepping out of the car.
"Stay here in the back seat with Viktor, Ivy. Lock the doors from the inside. I'm going to bring your mother home."
"Can I come?" I asked, my voice small and desperate. "I want to see Mommy."
"It's not safe inside, little bird," Andrew said gently, placing a large, warm hand on my head. "Trust me. I never break a contract."
He stepped out into the pouring rain, pulling his coat tight around his shoulders, and walked toward the heavy steel doors of the loading dock as if he were walking into a Sunday dinner instead of a slaughterhouse.
I pressed my face against the cold glass of the window, watching the shadows move across the brick walls. Inside the building, muffled pops echoed through the night—the sound of suppressed weapons doing their grim work. The guards guarding Ashwood didn't stand a chance. Within three minutes, the exterior lights flickered and died, plunging the facility into an eerie, moonlit silence.
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Viktor kept his hand resting near his holster, his eyes scanning every shadow in the rearview mirror. "Hang tight, kiddo. The boss is finishing a very old, very bloody chapter tonight."
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