Chapter 44 - The Siege of Willow House
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By three AM, the storm hit the city with devastating force. Torrential rain slammed against the windows of my mother’s house, and wind howled through the surrounding oak trees.
Despite Arthur's arrest and Julian's confession, the atmosphere inside Willow House was suffocating.
Chief Higgins had stationed four armed officers on the grounds, but the storm had knocked out regional power lines, plunging the entire neighborhood into pitch-black darkness.
Our emergency generator kicked on with a low hum, casting faint yellow light across the living room.
"Sarah," Evelyn called out softly from the couch, holding a warm blanket around her shoulders. "You haven't slept in two days. Please, rest for an hour."
"I can't, Mom," I said, pacing near the front window with my flashlight. "Not until we know who is controlling that Zurich server."
Suddenly, the hum of the emergency generator cut out.
THUD.
The entire house went dead silent, plunged into total blackness.
"Sarah?" Evelyn’s voice quavered in the dark.
"Stay where you are, Mom," I whispered, reaching into my jacket and pulling out the small stun gun Chief Higgins had given me.
Outside, a sharp crack echoed through the heavy rain—followed instantly by the sound of glass shattering downstairs in the conservatory.
CRASH!
"Officers!" I shouted toward the hallway, but there was no response. The radio on my belt erupted into static.
Kzzzt... Sarah... perimeter compromised... team down... Kzzzt...
My heart slammed against my ribs. The security guards outside had been incapacitated silently.
I grabbed my mother’s hand, pulling her toward the reinforced panic room behind the master bedroom closet.
May you like
"Move, Mom! Fast!" I urged.
We reached the top of the stairs just as three dark figures dressed in unmarked black gear stepped into the foyer below, their suppressed handguns fitted with red laser sights cutting through the shadows.
