Chapter 18 - The Lioness Awakes
Julian sped through the chaotic streets of Rome in a stolen, unmarked sedan.
He arrived at the abandoned warehouse district where Silas had set up his temporary tactical armory.
Julian moved through the shadows, taking down two heavily armed sentries with silent, brutal efficiency.
He kicked open the door to Silas’s command center, his weapon raised and ready to fire.
The room was completely empty, save for a massive corkboard covered in photographs.
Julian stepped closer, his blood running cold as he examined the pictures pinned to the board.
They were blueprints of the Roman safehouse, complete with elevator schematics and blind spots.
Silas hadn't tracked them to the airstrip; he had deliberately left a digital trail to lure Julian away.
It was a brilliant, devastating trap designed to leave Elena completely unprotected.
"No," Julian gasped, dropping his weapon and sprinting frantically back to his car.
Back at the penthouse, Elena was sitting on the floor, feeding Isabella a small piece of fruit.
The power to the entire building suddenly shut off with a loud, mechanical clank.
Anton immediately stepped in front of the door, raising his assault rifle.
"Get in the bathroom, Elena, lock the reinforced door!" Anton commanded.
Before Elena could move, the massive oak front doors were completely blown off their hinges by a breaching charge.
Smoke and debris filled the room, and Silas stepped through the threshold, holding a customized shotgun.
Anton fired rapidly, but Silas was wearing heavy, military-grade body armor.
Silas returned fire, hitting Anton in the chest and sending the bodyguard crashing through the glass coffee table.
Elena grabbed Isabella, rushing toward the hallway as Silas pumped the shotgun with a terrifying click.
"There is nowhere left to run, little bird," Silas laughed, walking slowly toward her.
Elena stopped in the middle of the hallway, setting Isabella gently down behind a heavy marble statue.
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She didn't cower, she didn't beg, and she didn't cry.
She reached into the waistband of her jeans and pulled out the spare 9mm pistol Julian had left for her.
