Chapter 11 - Dark Night of the Soul
Harrison’s gentleness evaporated in a split second.
He drew a concealed firearm from under his desk and sprinted toward the door.
Olivia ran right behind him, ignoring the sharp pain in her healing shoulder.
They raced upstairs toward Ethan’s bedroom at the end of the long hallway.
The two security guards stationed outside the room were collapsed on the floor, unconscious.
"Stay behind me!" Harrison commanded in a deadly voice.
He kicked the heavy oak door open.
Inside, the window was wide open, letting wind and rain storm into the nursery.
A figure dressed completely in tactical black was standing over Ethan's bed, holding a syringe filled with a clear liquid.
Ethan was crying hysterically under the sheets.
"Drop it!" Harrison roared, aiming his gun directly at the intruder's head.
The intruder didn't flinch.
Instead, he grabbed Ethan with one arm, holding the syringe terrifyingly close to the boy's neck.
"One step closer, Blackwell, and your son gets a lethal dose of potassium chloride," the voice shouted through a voice modifier mask.
Harrison froze, his knuckle white on the trigger.
His eyes were wide with pure terror for his child.
"What do you want?" Harrison demanded, his voice shaking with restrained rage.
"I want the encryption keys for the Blackwell Global Satellite Network," the intruder hissed.
"Transfer them to my drive now, or the boy dies."
Olivia looked around the dark room, her brain racing at lightning speed.
She noticed a heavy brass lamp sitting on the side table near the door.
She slowly shifted her weight, making no sound as the thunder roared outside.
"Harrison, give him the keys!" Olivia suddenly yelled, pretending to panic.
She took three frantic steps forward, intentionally drawing the intruder's attention away from the window.
"Don't hurt the child! Take whatever you want!" she cried out.
The intruder turned his mask toward her.
"Shut up, woman! Back off!" he snarled.
That split second of distraction was all Harrison needed.
Harrison fired a shot directly into the intruder’s shoulder.
The intruder screamed in pain, dropping the syringe onto the carpet.
At the exact same time, Olivia lunged forward, grabbing Ethan from the bed and pulling him safely into her arms.
May you like
The intruder pulled a flashbang grenade from his belt and threw it onto the floor.
A blinding light and deafening explosion filled the room.
