Chapter 8 - Breach at the Gates
“They’re bypassing the manual overrides!” one of the armed security operatives yelled over the screeching alarms, drawing his weapon as he aimed toward the main entry doors.
Caleb Cross didn't panic. He calmly reached into his trench coat and pulled out a small, heavy-duty electronic jammer, tossing it to the security guard. “Plug that into the terminal by the service lift. It will lock the internal gates and buy us three minutes before Julian’s private security detail breaches the perimeter.”
Emma didn't hesitate. She threw off the wool blanket, her body aching with every movement, but her focus was absolute. She walked over to Vanessa, grabbed her by the lapels of her expensive coat, and hauled her to her feet with a surprising surge of raw strength.
“You’re coming with us, Vanessa,” Emma hissed, her eyes locking onto the terrified woman. “You’re going to sit in the back of that transport, and you’re going to look your precious boss in the eye when we tear his empire down.”
Vanessa whimpered, too terrified to resist as she was shoved hard toward the rear doors of the black tactical SUV parked near the lifts.
“Caleb,” Andrew said as he climbed into the front passenger seat, “how did you even find us tonight? If Julian has been running the board for years, why surface now?”
Caleb slid behind the steering wheel, turning the ignition with a sharp roar of the engine. He shifted the SUV into drive as the security door at the end of the garage finally gave way with a deafening crash, splintering inward as heavy men in black tactical gear poured into the space.
“Because,” Caleb shouted over the roaring engine as he slammed his foot on the gas, tearing toward the lower service ramp just as bullets began to ping off the rear chassis, “Julian didn't just target your parents. Six months ago, he tried to eliminate my family too. I’m not here to save the Whitmore legacy, kids. I’m here to watch it burn down on top of him.”
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The SUV rocketed up the ramp, bursting through the estate’s outer security gates just as police sirens began wailing in the distance, cutting a path through the rainy Dallas night toward the heart of the city.
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