Chapter 10 - The Viper's Strike
Before Julian could execute his plan to strike back, the quiet of the mountain was shattered.
It was midnight when the warning tripwires around the property perimeter were cut. Julian was instantly awake, his hand darting to the gun beneath his pillow. He slipped out of bed like a phantom and glided down the hallway to Elena's room.
"Elena, wake up," he hissed, pressing his hand gently over her mouth to prevent her from crying out.
Her eyes snapped open in the darkness.
"They found us," Julian whispered directly into her ear, his warm breath fanning her cheek. "Marcus sent a strike team. There are at least six men outside."
Elena’s heart slammed against her ribs. She immediately pulled Leo against her chest, her arms wrapping protectively around the infant. "What do we do?"
"You stay in the panic cellar under the kitchen floor," Julian ordered, pulling open a heavy iron trapdoor hidden beneath an oriental rug. "Lock it from the inside. Do not open it for anyone except me. If you hear three sharp knocks, followed by two slow ones, it's me."
"Julian, please... don't go out there alone," Elena begged, grabbing his sleeve, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "They'll kill you!"
May you like
Julian looked at her hands on his arm, then reached up, softly cupping her cheek. "They can try. But I have too much to come back to now."
With a swift movement, he pushed her into the cellar and sealed the trapdoor shut.
