The siege
332 Words
Darkness swallowed the cottage.
The only sound was the crunch of footsteps outside.
Marcus moved to the window and carefully pulled the curtain aside.
"Five... no, six men," he whispered. "They're surrounding the house."
Oliver slipped the sealed envelope into the inside pocket of his jacket.
"No matter what happens," he said, looking at Tracy, "stay behind me."
Tracy nodded, though her heart was pounding.
A loud bang shook the front door.
"Open up!" a voice shouted.
No one answered.
Another crash.
The old wooden door splintered.
The intruders rushed inside wearing black masks.
Marcus reacted instantly, tackling the first man to the ground.
Oliver blocked another attacker and pushed Tracy toward the back of the cottage.
"The back door!" he shouted.
Grace pointed toward a narrow hallway.
"It leads to the lake!"
The four of them ran through the cottage as furniture crashed behind them.
Just as they reached the back door, a masked man stepped into their path.
He raised a pistol.
"Hand over the envelope, Mr. Lancaster."
Oliver stood between the gunman and Tracy.
"I don't negotiate with cowards."
Before the man could respond, a bright spotlight swept across the yard.
"Police! Drop your weapons!"
Sirens echoed through the night.
The attackers scattered in every direction.
Two escaped into the woods.
Three were tackled by officers.
One remained standing.
As police closed in, the masked man slowly removed his mask.
Tracy gasped.
It wasn't Vanessa.
It wasn't a Lancaster family member.
It was David Cole—Oliver's trusted personal lawyer and the man who had handled the Lancaster family's legal affairs for over fifteen years.
Oliver stared at him in disbelief.
"David..."
David gave a bitter smile.
"You should have destroyed that envelope while you had the chance."
The police handcuffed him, but David looked directly at Oliver and said one final sentence:
"You're hunting the wrong enemy."
Then he laughed.
The laughter echoed through the night, leaving Oliver wondering whether David had just confessed... or issued a warning.
- Writer
