Chapter 16 - The Midnight Breach
At 2:14 AM, the estate’s exterior security monitors flickered and died.
Three matte-black utility vans rolled silently through the unlocked south gates, their headlights completely extinguished. Twelve operatives in tactical gear, carrying suppressed submachine guns and thermal breaching equipment, spilled out onto the manicured gravel driveway with military discipline.
They moved like ghosts toward the main entrance of Blackthorn Manor, expecting an isolated target caught fast asleep.
The lead operative raised his hand, signaling the breach team to plant the thermal charge against the heavy oak front doors. He pressed the detonator.
Hiss—crack.
The reinforced doors didn’t just swing open; they blew inward in a cloud of splinters and dust. The team surged into the grand foyer, weapons raised, sweeping the dark corridors with infrared laser sights.
“Clear the ground floor!” the team leader barked through his comms unit.
But as the second squad pushed toward the grand staircase, the mansion’s interior lights suddenly flooded on with blinding intensity. Every chandelier, wall sconce, and floor lamp blazed simultaneously, searing their night-adapted vision.
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From the top of the grand staircase, standing directly beneath the massive family portrait of the Vance patriarch, Conrad looked down at them. He wasn't wearing body armor. He held his father’s revolver resting casually at his side.
“You missed the front desk,” Conrad’s voice rang out, cold and absolute through the high-ceilinged hall.
