Chapter 10 - The Siege of North Shore
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The storm intensified over Boston Harbor, burying the estate beneath two feet of drifting, unyielding snow.
By midnight, the telephone lines leading into the mansion were completely severed by Vance’s saboteurs.
Dominic stood before the monitors in his high-tech security room, watching grainy black-and-white camera feeds.
Three of his port warehouses had been set ablaze simultaneously, creating massive diversions to draw the police away.
"Boss, Vance's men have cut the power grid along the entire coastal road," his head operative reported grimly.
"The backup generators will only hold for another four hours if the fuel lines freeze."
Dominic strapped a tactical shoulder holster over his clean black sweater, checking the magazine of his sidearm.
"He wants to draw my men down to the docks so he can hit this house without resistance," Dominic deduced.
Emma rushed into the security room holding a printed stack of maritime telemetry reports she had salvaged from the office.
"Dominic, you're wrong about the docks!" she cried out, spreading the satellite maps across the steel console.
The guards looked at her in surprise, but Dominic raised a hand to silence them immediately.
"Explain, Emma."
"The fire at the warehouse is burning empty grain silos, not the weapons caches," Emma pointed out rapidly.
"Marcus moved four offshore speedboats into the private cove behind this cliff twenty minutes ago."
"He isn't attacking the docks to draw you out; he staged the fire so your fleet would leave the harbor unguarded!"
Dominic leaned over the map, his tactical mind instantly recognizing the brilliance of her deduction.
"The cove," Dominic realized, his eyes widening with grim admiration.
"The cliff trail leads directly into the wine cellar beneath the east wing."
Suddenly, the mansion shuddered violently as an explosion detonated against the perimeter gates at the front driveway.
Gunfire erupted into the freezing night air, the sharp rattle of automatic weapons echoing off the stone walls.
"They're coming from both sides!" the security chief shouted as alarms began blaring across the house.
Dominic grabbed Emma by both shoulders, pulling her toward the reinforced steel door of the underground panic room.
"Take Mrs. Alvarez and the rest of the staff inside the bunker," Dominic commanded with fierce urgency.
"Lock the blast door from the inside and do not open it for anyone except my voice."
"Dominic, don't leave me down here alone," Emma pleaded, her hands clutching the fabric of his sweater.
"I will tear this house down around their heads before I let them lay a finger on you," Dominic vowed fiercely.
He cupped her face in his hands and pressed a hard, desperate kiss against her lips, sealing a silent promise.
May you like
"Wait for me," he whispered against her mouth.
Before she could answer, he shoved her gently into the secure bunker, and the heavy vault door slammed shut between them.
