Chapter 16 - The Siege Begins
|
The rain had stopped by the time our convoy approached the abandoned Hale shipping yards. The sky was a bruised, heavy purple, hanging low over the rusted cranes and decaying metal warehouses that lined the riverfront.
I sat in the back of a heavily armored mobile command SUV, surrounded by communication equipment and bulletproof glass. My father sat in the front, coordinating the assault with his lieutenants over a secure radio. Daniel sat right beside me, his presence a solid, comforting wall of heat in the freezing vehicle.
“They have lookouts on the primary crane towers,” my father’s voice crackled over the radio, speaking to the sniper teams he had positioned in the surrounding abandoned buildings. “Take them out. Silent execution.”
We waited in agonizing silence. I watched through the tinted window as two faint, suppressed thwips echoed in the distance. The shadows moving atop the rusted cranes instantly collapsed, vanishing from sight.
“Watchtowers clear,” a voice reported over the radio. “The perimeter is open.”
“Move in,” my father commanded.
Our SUV rolled slowly through the rusted chain-link gates, followed by a dozen black vans. The element of surprise was absolute. Sergei’s men believed they were hidden in an impenetrable fortress, entirely unaware that the ghost of the Carter syndicate had already slipped past their defenses.
My father’s men poured out of the vans like liquid shadows. They wore dark tactical gear, moving with silent, lethal precision toward the main warehouse where Sergei’s command center was located.
“Stay down,” Daniel whispered, placing a heavy hand on my shoulder, pushing me lower in the seat as we parked behind a stack of rusted shipping containers.
Suddenly, a floodlight snapped on, illuminating the courtyard in blinding white light. One of the Russian guards had spotted the movement.
“Contact!” a voice screamed in Russian.
The shipping yard erupted into absolute chaos.
Deafening automatic gunfire shattered the quiet night. Muzzle flashes lit up the dark warehouse windows like a violent lightning storm. I covered my ears, gasping as bullets ricocheted off the armored plating of our SUV, shaking the heavy vehicle.
Daniel didn't flinch. He drew his weapon, his eyes scanning the perimeter like a hawk, keeping his body positioned perfectly between me and the reinforced glass.
“They are heavily armed,” Daniel murmured, listening to the radio chatter. “Sergei brought his entire remaining force here. It’s a last stand.”
Through the windshield, I watched my father’s men advance ruthlessly. They didn't retreat under the heavy fire. They moved from container to container, laying down overwhelming suppressing fire, driving the Russians back into the main warehouse.
“Breach the main doors!” my father yelled over the radio.
May you like
A massive explosion rocked the foundation of the shipping yard. The heavy steel doors of the main warehouse blew inward, raining shrapnel and fire into the rainy night.
The siege had breached the inner sanctum. The end was near.
