My eyes widen when I spot at least five armed men wading through the garden and assessing the perimeter. Another two are already in the house, on the ground floor, and more are going up the stairs.
Shit!
All are heavily armed and in full gear. Some look military, but I can't be sure. All I know at the moment is that I have to get to Vlad.
Refusing to lose my calm, I start collecting as many knives as I can, strapping them around my body. I need to be smart about this. The best I can do is get Vlad and go together to the panic room.
I already know I'm likely to find him naked and unarmed so that willnothelp against blazing guns.
Checking the feed again to ensure they're not yet at the basement, I steel myself and open the door, heading on to the corridor.
Damn, Vlad!
Why did he have to build this gigantic basement? It's the size of the entire property, probably even bigger than a football field, which means that even though the intruders are not here yet, they might get down any moment with the time it takes me to reach the blood room.
Holding tightly onto the knives in my hand, I hurry down the corridor, my senses sharp as I listen for any noise.
I'm halfway across when I hear gunshots. Instinctively, I duck, closing my eyes.
Fuck!
The shots are coming from upstairs, and from the sound of it they're shooting down.
The trap door!
My eyes widen as I whip my head around, looking at the trap door that leads to the basement from the living room. Part of the original construction of the house, it's made fully of wood.
And it'snotbulletproof.
"I'm fucked," I whisper to myself, wildly looking around.
I can run across and hurry to the blood room, but they would undoubtedly make it downstairs before that and I'd be a direct target in an open field. They'd shoot before I could do anything.
No, that's not an option.
Turning around, I catalogue the various rooms around. Even the panic room is too far, but that's out of the question as long as Vlad's not with me. I could never save myself knowing he'd be a living target. No matter how proficient he is ineverything,he isnotimmortal.
A little closer is the shooting range, and as I hear the latch of the wood give, I know I have the best shot of getting there, maybe even arming myself further.
I sprint as fast as I can, getting to the door just as the trap door is smashed to pieces. Closing the door, I will myself not to despair. I just need to find guns and ammo.
Granted, I hadn't had as many shooting lessons as I'd like to feel comfortable with a gun, but I guess today is an exception. Opening up the gun cabinet, I try to remember Vlad's lessons. I need something that can hold the most rounds, since I know I'm slow at reloading and that's time Icannotwaste.
Sorting through various handguns, I finally find a rifle. Checking the cartilage, I'm happy to see it's fully loaded so I won't have to spend time looking for that too.
Armed to my best ability, I head to the tablet on the wall, plugging in the password and accessing the feed from the hallway.
Three people are down, searching the basement, with the rest still upstairs.
Ok, three isn't that much. Three is doable.
But not for me.
Damn, but what am I doing? I'm not a warrior. I'm the furthest thing from one if one takes into account the fact that I've spent twenty years in a Goddamn convent. But conflict and death won't care if I'm a nun or a soldier, so I'd better put on my big girl panties and brave this through.
For now, I just need to make it to Vlad.
Releasing a breath, I nod to myself. But as I look at the screen again, I realize the men are already heading to the other side of the level.