Chapter 19 - The Final Siege of Lake Forest
The storm reached its absolute peak at midnight,
howling through the high oak trees surrounding the Lake Forest estate.
Blinding flashes of lightning illuminated the heavy rain pouring down in sheets over the stone walls.
Outside the northern perimeter fence,
four dark figures dressed in night-camo gear moved stealthily through the muddy woods.
They were led by Victor,
a tall,
scarred mercenary holding a silenced assault rifle.
"The perimeter sensors are offline due to the lightning strike,"
Victor whispered into his tactical headset.
"Move to the terrace doors."
"Eliminate any guards on sight,"
"and secure the female target in the primary study."
The four mercenaries scrambled over the stone wall,
dropping silently onto the wet grass,
moving toward the mansion like dark phantoms.
As they reached the stone terrace,
the heavy glass doors of the library suddenly swung open from the inside.
A single beam of warm light washed out onto the wet stones.
Victor raised his rifle,
signaling his men to hold their positions.
Nathan Mercer stepped out onto the terrace,
wearing a dark turtleneck sweater,
holding a black umbrella over his head,
completely unarmed.
"You're late,
Victor,"
Nathan said calmly,
his voice carrying easily over the sound of the falling rain.
Victor narrowed his eyes in confusion,
stepping into the light,
his weapon aimed straight at Nathan's chest.
"You knew we were coming?"
Victor sneered,
his finger resting on the trigger.
"Sterling paid me two million dollars to bring your head back to his office."
"Vincent Sterling paid you with funds from an account that was seized by the Treasury Department twenty minutes ago,"
Nathan revealed smoothly,
not flinching for a single second.
"You're working for free,
Victor."
Before Victor could process the statement,
massive red and blue strobe lights suddenly erupted through the trees around the entire estate.
The loud,
deafening whirring of heavy helicopter blades filled the stormy sky above the mansion.
Four federal tactical choppers hovered low over the lawn,
their powerful searchlights pinning the four mercenaries in blinding white light.
"FEDERAL AGENTS!
DROP YOUR WEAPONS IMMEDIATELY!"
a loud megaphone voice boomed from the sky.
Over thirty heavily armed FBI SWAT officers surged out of the forest,
their weapons locked onto the hit squad.
"Drop them!"
Marco shouted from the side terrace,
stepping out with ten of Nathan's security personnel,
their laser sights painting Victor's chest in bright red dots.
Victor looked around in sheer terror,
realizing he had walked directly into an inescapable federal trap.
His rifle slipped from his wet gloves,
clattering loudly against the stone terrace.
His three mercenaries immediately dropped to their knees,
raising their hands high into the icy air.
Special Agent Marcus Vance marched up the stone steps,
holding a pair of federal handcuffs,
slapping them tightly around Victor's wrists.
"Victor Vance,"
Agent Vance declared cleanly,
"you are under arrest for attempted domestic terrorism and conspiracy."
Agent Vance turned to Nathan,
extending his hand in deep professional respect.
"We just picked up Vincent Sterling at the Chicago Executive Airport,"
Agent Vance reported with a satisfied smile.
"He was trying to board a private jet to South America."
"His entire syndicate board has been rounded up across three states."
"It's over,
Mr.
Mercer."
Nathan shook the agent's hand firmly.
"Thank you,
Agent Vance,"
Nathan said softly.
"The city is finally clean."
Hannah stepped out onto the terrace from the warm library,
wrapped in a heavy wool shawl.
She looked at the lights of the helicopters fading into the stormy night sky,
then turned her eyes toward Nathan.
He walked over to her,
stepping under her shawl,
wrapping his arms around her waist,
pulling her close to his heart as the rain fell gently around them.
"Is it really over?"
she whispered against his shoulder,
tears of relief filling her eyes.
"Yes,
my love,"
Nathan murmured,
May you like
kissing her wet cheek gently.
"The shadows are completely gone."
