Chapter 14 - Down into the vault
"Marco! Lock down the primary gate!" Damian commanded through his earpiece, dragging Mara and Lila toward the concealed bookshelf behind his desk. "Do not engage in the open! It's a diversion!"
"Understood, Boss! Heavy fire coming from the south perimeter!"
Damian pressed his palm against a biometric scanner hidden behind a row of leather-bound classics. The heavy oak bookshelf swung open with a dull hiss of hydraulic seals, revealing a narrow staircase descending into the estate’s subterranean bunker.
"Go, Mara. Move!" Damian ordered, keeping his body between them and the cracking glass.
Another shot slammed into the window, cracking the inner layer. Spiderwebs of broken glass expanded rapidly. Mara scrambled into the dark corridor, carrying Lila, while Damian drew two modified customized handguns from his holster.
He backed into the hidden passage and slammed the emergency lock button. The heavy steel door sealed shut, cutting off the blaring sirens and the sound of distant gunfire, plunging them into the dim glow of emergency red backup lights.
They descended three levels underground into a reinforced concrete bunker designed to withstand an artillery bombardment. Mara collapsed onto a steel bench, clutching Lila to her chest, her whole body shaking violently.
Lila gently pulled away from her mother's grip. The little girl walked over to Damian, who stood checking the bunker's surveillance monitors. She tapped his thigh.
Damian lowered his weapon and crouched down to her level, softening his harsh expression. "You're safe here, little one. Nothing gets through these walls."
Lila didn't look convinced. She raised her hands, signing deliberately, her hazel eyes locked onto his: *The man outside... he has a scar across his neck like a snake. I saw him in the garden through the glass.*
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Damian froze. The car crash eight years ago had ended with a shattered windshield slicing through the passenger cabin. When they pulled the charred remains from the wreck, the neck had been burned beyond recognition.
"A snake scar," Damian murmured, the blood draining from his hands. "He was never in that car. He put someone else in the driver’s seat."
