Chapter 24 - The Standoff
The suppressed gunfire chewed relentlessly into the plaster walls above Jasper and Victoria, showering them in white dust and debris. They were trapped in a narrow, decorative alcove just outside the office doors, with the two remaining mercenaries slowly advancing through the thick fire-suppression foam in the foyer.
"We are entirely pinned," Victoria grunted, shielding Leo's head with her body, her silk robe now covered in dust and blood from the floor. "I only have a twelve-round magazine in this handgun. It’s useless against their body armor."
Jasper looked desperately around the alcove. The strobing red emergency lights illuminated a massive, ornate bronze statue of a rearing horse, a piece of art Jasper recognized from the early days of their corporate acquisitions. It was incredibly heavy, resting precariously on a marble pedestal.
"Victoria," Jasper whispered, ignoring the pain in his ribs. "When I give the signal, you fire three rapid shots directly at the ceiling above them. Don't aim for the men; aim for the crystal chandelier. Make them look up. Then, grab the boy and run into the office."
"What are you going to do?" Victoria demanded, her eyes wide.
"I'm going to change the architecture," Jasper said grimly.
He didn't wait for her to argue. Jasper pushed himself up into a low crouch, placing his shoulder squarely against the heavy marble pedestal holding the bronze statue.
"Now!" Jasper shouted over the deafening sirens.
Victoria rolled out of the alcove, raised her titanium handgun, and fired three deafening shots into the massive, glittering crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the foyer. The bullets shattered the central support chain. Thousands of pounds of crystal and steel plummeted downward with a terrifying, explosive crash, showering the advancing mercenaries in lethal shrapnel.
The mercenaries flinched, throwing their arms up to shield their faces.
In that crucial fraction of a second, Jasper threw his entire body weight against the marble pedestal. His ribs screamed in agony, but the pedestal tipped. The massive bronze statue toppled forward, crashing violently into the nearest mercenary, pinning him to the floor under hundreds of pounds of metal.
The remaining mercenary swung his weapon toward Jasper in a panic, but Victoria was already moving. She snatched Leo from the floor, sprinted past the chaos, and dove through the shattered doors of the office, turning instantly to provide covering fire.
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She fired twice, hitting the remaining mercenary squarely in his unprotected thigh. The man screamed, collapsing onto the foam-covered floor, his weapon skittering away into the darkness.
Jasper stumbled forward, grasping the splintered doorframe of the office, and hauled himself inside. Victoria slammed the heavy double doors shut, engaging the heavy steel deadbolt just as the distant, rising wail of police sirens finally pierced through the storm outside.
