The future suddenly seemed clear, a path through the dark woods.

But then, the quiet of the night was shattered.

A shrill, red light began to flash on the security panel by the door.

A high-pitched alarm sounded, echoing through the barns.

The external cameras on the monitor flickered.

A convoy of heavy SUVs was tearing through the front gates.

They were not Dante’s men.

The lead vehicle had a heavy steel grate welded to its bumper.

Dante gripped his pistol, his eyes narrowing at the screen.

“Kroll,” he muttered.

“He didn’t wait for the payroll.”

Suddenly, the main glass doors of the lobby shattered.

The sound of automatic gunfire erupted from the front of the building.

Vesper whinnied, her ears pinning back as the lights in the office suddenly died.

We were plunged into pitch darkness.

Only the red emergency light pulsed against the walls.

The door to the corridor slowly creaked open.

The shadow in the doorway shifted.

I pulled Vesper’s lead rope tight, keeping her heavy head close to my chest.

Dante stepped in front of us, raising his gun with a steady hand.