Chapter 3 - The Red ProtocolValerio pivoted instantly, running back toward the medical wing with Lucian right on his heels. They burst through the double doors of the trauma unit to find Dr. Cole pinned against the wall, a syringe pressed against his neck by a masked figure dressed in tactical gear.
Two other armed mercenaries stood guard over Alessia’s bed. One of them was unhooking her heart monitor while the other prepared to lift her unmoving body onto a mobile gurney.
"Drop your weapons!" Lucian shouted, raising his silenced pistol.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Signor DeLuca," the lead mercenary growled through his voice modulator. He tightened his grip on Dr. Cole, pressing the needle deeper into the doctor's carotid artery. "This syringe contains potassium chloride. One squeeze, and your personal doctor goes into cardiac arrest within three seconds."
Valerio stood dead still, his eyes tracking every movement in the room. His mind calculated trajectories, reaction times, and angles with cold precision.
"Who hired you?" Valerio demanded, his hands raised slightly in a gesture of false compliance. "Name your price. I will double it."
The mercenary chuckled, a chilling, mechanical sound. "We don't take double payments from dead men walking. The Moretti family sends their regards."
"Veronica," Lucian hissed. "She had a backup team on standby."
"No," Valerio corrected, his eyes fixing on the mercenary's tactical vest. "Look at the emblem on his shoulder. That's not Moretti crest. That’s the insignia of the Russian Vanguard. The Bratva."
The lead mercenary’s smile vanished beneath his mask. "You're smart, Valerio. But not smart enough."
Before the mercenary could depress the plunger, a sudden deafening explosion rocked the southern wing of the estate. The floor luridly bucked, throwing everyone off balance.
Valerio didn't hesitate. Exploiting the momentary distraction, he drew his concealed weapon and fired two rapid shots. The first bullet struck the lead mercenary directly between the eyes, dropping him instantly before he could push the syringe. The second bullet caught the mercenary at the foot of Alessia’s bed in the throat.
Lucian snapped into action simultaneously, dropping the third guard with a precise shot to the chest.
Dr. Cole slumped against the wall, gasping for air as the body of his captor collapsed beside him. "Valerio... the central power line was cut from the outside. This isn't just a kidnap attempt. It’s an invasion!"
Valerio rushed to Alessia’s side. The blast had shattered her bed's restraint system, and her eyelids were fluttering as she slowly regained consciousness from the noise.
"Valerio...?" she whimpered, her voice raspy. "What's happening? Why is it red?"
"Stay down," Valerio commanded, wrapping his arm around her waist and lifting her off the bed. "Lucian, clear the western exit! We're moving her to the safe house!"
"We can't go west!" Lucian shouted, checking his tactical terminal. "The perimeter fence has been breached by three separate strike teams! They’ve locked down the courtyard!"
Gunfire erupted down the hallway—heavy, automatic rifle fire ripping through the drywall. The wooden doors of the trauma room splintered outward under a hail of bullets.
Valerio shielded Alessia with his own body, taking cover behind a heavy steel medical cabinet as bullets whizzed past his ears. He looked at Alessia, whose eyes were wide with terror. She tried to move her leg to crawl, but her right side remained completely unresponsive.
"I'm dead weight, Valerio," she cried, tears cutting clean lines through the dust on her face. "Leave me! You can get out through the maintenance shafts!"
Valerio grabbed her jaw, forcing her to look directly into his eyes amidst the deafening roar of gunfire. "Listen to me, Alessia. I didn't marry you to leave you behind when things get bloody. You wear my ring. That means your life is my life."
He pulled a small, silver remote control from his vest pocket and pressed the primary red switch.
Deep beneath the estate, heavy steel blast doors began to lower, sealing off the medical wing from the rest of the mansion.
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"What did you just do?" Lucian asked, reloading his pistol.
"I activated Protocol Omega," Valerio replied with a grim smile. "We aren't escaping, Lucian. We're trapping them in here with us."
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