Heavens only knew what the blast sounded like, but Rick’s estate was destroyed like a thunderclap, making for chaos in the dark. Glass rained down, furniture went crashing across the room, and the explosion was felt. The breath was knocked out of him, and Rick was thrown against the wall already on high alert. His ears rang, the world spun wildly, for a moment.“Laura!” He shouted and panic seized his chest. Shouting past the haze of smoke and dust, he staggered to his feet. His mind was focused on one goal, and his instincts kicked in, he had to find his family.Charles was already racing down the hallway. “This way, sir!” His old voice strong from the calamity, he called over the chaos, 'I’ll check the east wing, you take the west!'Rick nodded and ran toward the west wing where Laura and Elvis were. A mix of fear and fury had him up and running forward as his heart pounded furiously in his chest. Damian, Mark, The Ghost had crossed a line, and whoever had done this was now at war.
The smoke had begun to fog the air inside the estate, the tension suffocating, the smoke mixing with the fear that hung over it. The Ghost’s lifeless body was on the ground and Rick was standing over his unconscious body, his questions and an impending doom all happening in his head. Rick knew that this was just a taste of what was to come, Charles had disarmed the detonator.Laura held their child tightly, glanced at Rick, eyes wide in fear and worry, and cautiously made her way towards Rick. “Rick, what’s happening? They wouldn’t leave us alone,” I asked. Her voice quaked, but she tried to stay calm for Elvis as the terror in her eyes was unmissable.Rick’s jaw clenched, his fists still trembling from the adrenaline of the fight, he turned toward her. I don’t know, but we’re not safe here anymore. It was supposed to send a message.” He looked at The Ghost, lying on the floor, a reminder that danger was too close.Charles, nearby, adjusted his suit and looked unreadable. “Sir, I’ve
The message on his phone stared back at Rick’s heart, pounding, like a dark omen. He didn't hesitate a moment, taking off to the control room of the bunker where the security monitors were set up. Right behind him came Charles, grim but ready.Laura knew they were in a hurry and scooped Elvis up in her arms and ran after them. Rick was tense and she could tell something terrible was about to happen.Rick’s hands flew across the keyboards, bringing up the live feeds from the estate and around it. They felt safe for the past few hours in the bunker, but the feeling of safety was melting away quickly now.“Where are the other cameras outside?” His anxiety grew with each second and he switched between feeds, muttering to himself.Behind him, Charles stood beside him and his eyes were trained on the monitors. “They’re all intact, sir. No signs of interference. Or is this another way to throw us off balance?”Just as Rick started to respond, one of the screens flickered, and a brief flicker
The police cars in the distance had flashing lights, and Rick knew better than to hope on chance. The authorities approaching didn’t seem to faze the masked attackers closing in, and the steely focus of the masked attackers on him suggested there was more to come. Now, Rick had been backed into too many corners to let his guard down.“Stay low!” Laura and Elvis were barked at by Rick, who pushed them further behind a large tree trunk, his voice a tense whisper. Charles took out his weapon, reloading quickly.Charles looked between the figures coming from the treeline and the far off police cars, and muttered, 'We can't take them all on. They’re not here to negotiate.”Rick gritted his teeth. “They’re here to ensure I don’t walk away from this.”He wasn’t wrong. The men in black were moving efficiently and in unison. These weren't thugs, these were professionals; they were probably sent by one of the many powerful enemies Rick had made while away. There was no shortage of candidates,
Rick gritted his teeth at the rumble of collapsing tunnels, and twisted metal, struggling to pry the door open. Every pull strained his muscles, but the door wouldn’t budge. Dust and debris filled the air, each breath became heavier with each passing minute.“We need to move!” He groaned, pressing his hand on the cut on his forehead. “They can’t hold much longer.”Rick was trembling behind Laura, clutching Elvis to his chest. She looked like she was about to start panicking, the seriousness of the situation weighing in on her eyes.Rick tried to force a calm expression and turned to them. “Stay with me. Always, there’s another way out.”Doubt crept into his mind even while he said it. The tunnels had been compromised far worse than he’d expected, and the attackers had them cornered. They knew every inch of the estate’s hidden pathways, whoever was behind this. No, they weren’t just random destruction—they wanted him and his family dead.Charles wincing as he pushed himself up, said, '
As Rick, Laura, Elvis, and Charles continued in the underground chambers, there were a thousand thoughts running through Rick's mind. It was well beyond a family dispute; it was an attack on their lives. It wasn’t just the Eldwolf family’s greed. But there were large forces behind it that didn't want to be fully seen, waiting for the right time to take their shot.Everybody could hear it, their hearts pounded with every step as Laura held Elvis close. Rick’s face remained stone-like, determined.The weight of all the secrets was pressing down on all of them and they had to get out—now.Charles whispered, his voice just as raspy as his wounds. He pointed at an unmarked passage at the far end of the chamber. “Behind here is a hidden exit. In the city’s early days, it was used for smuggling. I hope it’ll get us out safely."His instincts were screaming that something wasn’t right but Rick nodded. The air was so tense one almost couldn't breathe, the halls were way too quiet. He knew they
Rick stood wide eyed, staring at the figure in front of him, his mind in a rush. He shivered as he heard the familiar voice. The dust had settled and the dim light from the tunnel flickered, revealing the person’s face.Jackson Farrow was a man Rick hadn’t seen in over a decade, a man Rick had trusted once, but who had simply disappeared without a trace before Rick’s life went into hell.He was older now, but his eyes were still sharp. Facing Rick,he raised his arms in gesture of peace, but Rick was still so coiled for a fight. However, he stepped back.Rick muttered, his grip tightening on the metal rod he was still holding."You’ve got to be kidding me. What the fuck have you been doing? And why are you here now?"There was no humor in Jackson’s expression, but he smirked. “I thought I’d be the last person you’d expect to see, but you don’t have time to wonder about my motives, Rick. You and your family are in grave danger. I’m here to help."Rick’s mind raced and his eyes narrowed.
The room was filled with tmmasked intruders with lethal precision. They stepped out, raised their guns, and spread their eyes out to cover every corner. Rick clamped the chair so tightly in his hand that his knuckles turned white; he turned his eyes back and forth, looking at the invaders, calculating where and how they would attack.Laura clung to Elvis, her back against the wall. Charles stood in front of them, prepared to take a bullet for them. But Jackson was calm, his eyes on the situation, reading the layout as if it were laid out before him.Rick moved first.Swinging the chair at the nearest attacker, he hit the man’s shoulder with it. The man went down sideways, before Rick could finish him off, two more came to him, moving fast, trained motions. One of them fired, and the bullet just missed his head as it embedded itself into the wall.“Stay down!” Laura crouched, shielding Elvis with her body and Rick shouted at her.Behind the nearest attacker, Jackson moved next, slippin