Chapter 18 - The Protector
Lucía slammed the heavy steel door of the basement panic room shut just as Valeria reached the bottom of the stairs. She spun the heavy locking wheel, the deadbolts sliding into place with a definitive, metallic thud mere seconds before Valeria’s tire iron smashed violently against the outside of the door.
"Let me in!" Valeria shrieked, the sound muffled but terrifyingly raw through the steel. "You ruined my life! Both of you!"
Inside the small, brightly lit room, Sofía was crying hysterically, clutching Lucía’s shirt.
"Shh, baby, it's okay. We are safe in here. She can't get us," Lucía whispered, rocking the little girl, though her own heart was hammering violently against her ribs. She pulled out her phone to check the security cameras linked to the room.
On the screen, Valeria was violently beating the steel door, screaming obscenities. But the panic room was rated for bomb blasts; a tire iron wasn't going to make a dent. Realizing she couldn't breach the door, Valeria stopped. She looked around the basement, panting heavily, and then her eyes locked onto the central electrical panel that controlled the house's power.
With a feral scream, Valeria swung the heavy iron, smashing the panel. Sparks showered the basement, and the camera feed instantly went dead. Inside the panic room, the main lights cut out, plunging Lucía and Sofía into darkness before the dim, red emergency battery lights flickered on.
"Lucía, I'm scared," Sofía whimpered in the red glow.
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"I'm right here," Lucía promised, holding her tight. "Your daddy is coming. He is coming right now."
Outside, the wail of police sirens finally cut through the sound of the rain. Alejandro’s SUV tore up the driveway, followed by three squad cars. He didn't wait for the vehicle to fully stop before he jumped out, sprinting through the ruined front doors of his home, entirely prepared to kill Valeria with his bare hands if he had to.
