The Redline

The Castano Estate was a fortress. High walls, iron gates, armed guards.

But every fortress has a service entrance.

Leo rode the stolen Ducati motorcycle—lifted from a gas station three miles back—up the winding hill. He didn't have a plan. He had a wrench, a flare gun he found in the GTO’s trunk, and a lifetime of knowing exactly how things worked.

And how to break them.

He didn't go for the gate. He went for the generator station located on the perimeter wall.

He parked the bike. He used the wrench to pry open the control box. He didn't just cut the power. He rewired the emergency override to the fire suppression system.

* Short the circuit. Overload the sensor.*

He sparked the wires.

***WHOOSH.***

Inside the estate, chaos erupted. The fire alarms screamed. The halon gas systems in the main hall deployed. The sprinklers in the garden exploded to life.

In the confusion, the electric gates defaulted to 'open' for emergency vehicle access.

Leo gunned the Ducati. He roared through the open gates, flying past the confused guards who were distracted by the flashing strobe lights.

He drove straight up the marble steps of the manor. He drove *into* the manor through the open double doors.

The bike skidded across the polished foyer floor, crashing into a table of champagne flutes.

Leo rolled off, coming up with the flare gun in his hand.

He was in the main ballroom. It was pandemonium. Guests were screaming, soaked by sprinklers.

At the far end of the room, near the altar, stood Marco. He was holding Sofia by the arm. He had a gun pressed to her side.

The Vane family—Sofia’s father and brothers—were on the other side, confused, hands on their weapons but unsure of what was happening.

"Let her go!" Leo screamed, his voice cutting through the alarm.

"Leo?" Marco laughed, though he looked nervous. "You're supposed to be dead in a ditch. Look at you. You look like trash."

"I know what you're doing, Marco!" Leo shouted to the room. "He's going to kill you! All of you! He rigged the doors!"

"He's lying!" Marco shouted. "He's a traitor!"

Sofia moved.

She didn't pull away. She stomped on Marco’s foot with her heel. As he flinched, she drove her elbow into his ribs.

It wasn't enough to drop him, but it was enough to create space.

" Dad!" Sofia screamed. "The screen! Look at the screen!"

Leo saw it. The massive projection screen behind the altar, meant for a slideshow of the couple.

Sofia pulled a remote from her dress—no, not a remote. She had plugged the hard drive into the AV console when she was dragged in. She hit 'Play' on the podium.

The screen flickered.

Audio filled the room. Marco’s voice. Crystal clear.

*"We seal the doors at 9:00. My men come from the kitchen. We kill old man Vane first, then the sons. Sofia... I'll deal with her later."*

The silence in the room was absolute.

Then, fifty guns clicked off safety.

The Vane family drew their weapons. The Castano soldiers drew theirs.

"Kill them!" Marco screamed.

Leo raised the flare gun. He didn't aim at Marco. He aimed at the ceiling—at the massive crystal chandelier hanging directly over his brother.

He pulled the trigger.

The flare hit the chain. The metal melted instantly under the magnesium heat.

The chandelier fell.

Marco looked up too late.

The crash shook the floor. Crystal and steel buried Marco.

Chaos ensued. A firefight erupted, but it was one-sided. The Vanes were ready; the Castanos were leaderless and blinded by the smoke and water.

Leo sprinted through the crossfire. He grabbed Sofia’s hand.

"Run!" he yelled.

This time, she didn't argue. She hiked up the ruined dress and ran with him.

They burst out the back doors, into the garden, into the night. They didn't stop. They hopped the back wall. They ran until their lungs burned and the sounds of the gunfire faded into the distance.