Chapter 15 - The Intruder at the Gate
Julian reacted instantly, extinguishing the kitchen lights with a sweep of his hand.
Darkness enveloped the downstairs room.
"Upstairs, get Emma," Julian hissed, drawing a suppressed nine-millimeter from his waistband.
I didn't hesitate.
No matter what papers said, no matter what genetic experiments had spawned our reality, Emma was my child.
I dashed up the carpeted stairs two at a time, moving silently in the shadows.
Emma’s bedroom was painted soft lavender, illuminated only by the faint glow of her turtle nightlight.
She was sleeping on her side, clutching her stuffed animal tightly.
"Emma," I whispered, lifting her carefully into my arms and pulling a warm blanket over her shoulders.
She stirred, rubbing her little eyes.
"Daddy? Is it morning?"
"Shh, baby, stay quiet," I urged softly.
"We’re playing a game, okay?"
"We have to be quiet like little mice."
She nodded sleepily, burying her face into the crook of my neck.
Downstairs, the sound of breaking glass echoed through the foyer.
A single suppressed gunshot followed, muffled like a heavy book dropping on a rug.
Then another.
I crept to the top of the stairwell, peering down into the darkness.
Julian was crouched behind the decorative archway leading into the dining room.
Across the hall, three figures dressed in tactical gray fatigues moved with disciplined precision.
They carried no military insignia.
On their tactical vests was a simple embroidered crest: an entwined serpent around a white camellia.
The Vance Private Security Syndicate.
"Julian Vance!" a voice called out from the dark, cultured, smooth, and utterly devoid of mercy.
"You know why we are here."
"Hand over the asset, and Subject One will be allowed to walk away with his life."
Julian didn't answer with words; he fired two rounds through the drywall, forcing the intruders to duck.
"Run out the back window, Adrian!" Julian shouted toward the stairs, abandoning stealth.
"The master bedroom balcony! Jump into the pool!"
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"They aren't here for answers!"
"They’re here to reset Emma’s sequence!"
