"So be it," Rafael whispered into the dark, drawing his customized firearm from his leather shoulder holster. "Let the bloodbath begin."
The shattered glass from the terrace door rained down onto the rain-soaked floor with a sharp, echoing clatter.
Rafael moved with silent, fluid grace, pressing his back against the solid stone pillar beside the balcony entrance.
Across the rainy courtyard, a second high-velocity round whined through the night air, embedding itself deeply into the reinforced concrete wall.
"Rafael! What was that noise?" Lyra's urgent voice barked through his encrypted earpiece over the blaring ballroom alarms.
"A sniper on the adjacent rooftop," Rafael replied smoothly, keeping his breathing steady as he checked the magazine of his weapon.
"I am moving to your
