Chapter 13 - The Final Trap
Ethan instinctively shoved the manila folders into his jacket and pushed Hannah behind him.
Three large men dressed in dark tactical gear slowly descended the cellar stairs.
They were armed with heavy, suppressed pistols, and their faces were completely devoid of emotion.
"Victor Vance sends his absolute best regards," the lead thug sneered, raising his weapon.
"He wants those documents, and he is perfectly fine with us leaving two bodies behind to get them."
Hannah's heart pounded against her ribs like a trapped bird.
They were completely cornered in the basement with no other exits.
"Vance is sitting in a federal holding cell," Ethan stated, trying to keep his voice steady.
"You really want to go to prison for a man who is already finished?"
The thug chuckled darkly, cocking the hammer of his pistol.
"Mr. Vance pays us extremely well to clean up his loose ends."
"Hand over the files, kid."
Ethan slowly reached into his jacket, pretending to pull out the folders.
Instead, his hand brushed against the master control panel for the estate's smart home system on the wall.
He knew every single wire and circuit in this house.
Ethan forcefully smashed his fist into the emergency lighting override button.
The entire wine cellar plunged into absolute, pitch-black darkness.
"Grab them!" the lead thug shouted blindly in the dark.
Gunfire immediately erupted, the suppressed bullets loudly shattering dozens of expensive glass wine bottles.
The strong, overwhelming smell of spilled alcohol instantly flooded the tight space.
Ethan grabbed Hannah's hand and pulled her hard to the ground.
They crawled desperately behind the heavy, oak tasting table as glass rained down around them.
"The ventilation shaft," Ethan whispered directly into Hannah's ear.
"It is directly behind the false wall where the safe was."
They crawled on their hands and knees, ignoring the sharp shards of glass cutting into their clothes.
The tactical mercenaries were cursing loudly, stumbling over the broken wooden racks in the pitch black.
Hannah felt the cold, smooth concrete of the secret compartment.
Ethan boosted her up into the tight, metal ventilation shaft that led up to the main floor.
Hannah scrambled up the narrow tunnel, ignoring the claustrophobic panic rising in her chest.
She reached down and grabbed Ethan's hand, pulling him up just as a flashlight beam swept across the false wall.
"They are in the vents!" one of the men yelled furiously.
Bullets slammed into the heavy stone wall just inches below Ethan's boots.
They scurried silently through the dusty metal ductwork until they reached the library grate.
Ethan kicked the metal grate out, and they tumbled onto the soft, Persian rug in the library.
He instantly pulled out his cell phone and hit the panic button connected directly to the local police precinct.
"They will be here in less than three minutes," Ethan panted, locking the heavy library doors.
They could hear the furious mercenaries smashing through the house, tearing rooms apart.
But the distant, beautiful wail of approaching police sirens was already echoing through the valley.
The thugs knew they were completely out of time.
May you like
Hannah heard the squeal of tires on the gravel driveway as the men fled the scene into the night.
They had survived the final, desperate trap.
