My daughter-in-law dropped four children, two suitcases, a duffel bag, / Chapter 79 / 80

Chapter 79 - The Shield of Sycamore Lane

The shockwave blasted the reinforced door off its hinges, sending concrete dust and smoke billowing into the circular room.

Caleb shoved Evelyn behind the steel console just as a hail of automatic gunfire tore through the doorway, shattering ancient brass instruments and ricocheting violently off the stone walls.

"Stay down!" Caleb shouted, returning fire blind around the edge of the console, the muzzle flashes illuminating the swirling smoke.

Through the pulverized doorway stepped three heavily armed mercenaries wearing advanced tactical helmets with digital HUDs. The lead operative kicked Caleb’s spent rifle magazine aside and raised a suppressed combat shotgun directly toward Caleb's head.

"End of the line, Vance," the man growled through his throat-mic. "Step away from the beacon and surrender the children's codes, or this room becomes your family tomb."

Before Caleb could draw his secondary pistol, a deafening shot echoed through the shattered doorway from *behind* the mercenaries.

The lead mercenary stiffened, a neat hole appearing in the center of his chest plate, before he crumpled face-first to the floor.

Standing in the smoking wreckage of the doorway, holding a smoking antique hunting rifle, was Marcus, covered in dust and blood, but grinning like a feral wolf. Behind him stood six of Sycamore Lane’s surviving private guards, their weapons raised and ready.

"You're trespassing on private property, gentlemen," Marcus growled. "And the Vance family doesn't give warnings."

In seconds, the remaining mercenaries were suppressed and disarmed, driven to their knees with their hands behind their heads.