Chapter 4 - Siege at the Auto-Body
“They’re setting up a perimeter,” Jax whispered, his fingers flying across the console to activate the shop’s internal counter-surveillance systems. “Thermal optics, encrypted comms jamming, and acoustic monitors. They traced the ghost ping we bounced off the satellite relay three minutes ago.”
Vincent didn't panic. His mind moved with the cold, calculated precision of a chess grandmaster anticipating a trap three moves in advance.
“Reyes, take the back exit and move Lily into the armored transport van in the subterranean loading bay,” Vincent ordered calmly, unbuckling his jacket to ensure his dual Sig Sauer sidearms were completely unobstructed. “Take the secondary escape route through the drainage tunnel that leads out to the industrial canal.”
“Boss, what about you?” Reyes demanded, his brow furrowing. “You can’t hold the entire front of the building by yourself if they bring heavy breaching gear.”
“I’m not going to hold it,” Vincent said with a faint, dangerous smile. “I’m going to let them walk right into the trap.”
Reyes hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded firmly. “Understood. Don't die on me, Boss.”
“I’m too stubborn for that,” Vincent replied.
As Reyes sprinted down the corridor toward the guest suite to wake Lily, Vincent walked calmly toward the heavy steel security door separating the office from the auto-body repair floor above. He disabled the electronic locks, setting the manual hydraulic override.
Outside, through the grimy windows of the garage, the shadows of armed men moved with terrifying discipline.
BOOM!
The front glass doors of the auto shop shattered into a million glittering fragments as a heavy breaching charge blew the entrance inward. A thick cloud of gray smoke and white tear gas billowed across the concrete floor.
Through the haze poured six heavily armed Vanguard operatives, clad in matte-black tactical gear, night-vision goggles flipped up, assault rifles raised and scanning the corners with lethal intent.
“Clear!” the lead operator barked through a comms mic. “Sweep the office! Secure the asset!”
The team advanced in a textbook wedge formation, moving toward the inner office door where Vincent stood waiting in the deep shadows behind the counter.
As the first operator stepped through the threshold, Vincent didn't fire a warning shot. He raised his Sig Sauer and squeezed the trigger twice with blinding speed.
CRACK! CRACK!
The lead operator dropped instantly, his ceramic chest plate absorbing the kinetic shock, but the sheer force dropping him hard onto his back.
Chaos erupted. Automatic gunfire chewed through the drywall, sending heavy wooden splinters and shredded insulation flying in every direction. Bullets sparked against the steel counter as Vincent rolled smoothly to his left, using the heavy hydraulic engine hoist as cover.
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“Flank him! Flank him!” shouted the tactical team leader, moving aggressively toward the side corridor.
They thought they had cornered a lone wolf. They didn't realize they had stepped inside a cage with an apex predator.
