"Archer? Adele?" Mark called from the hallway, his voice filled with urgency.
Archer stood up, his tall figure commanding and intimidating. He reached out his left hand towards me and spoke firmly, "Get dressed." I nodded, taking his hand as he helped me off the bed. His gaze shifted from my eyes to my body, and I noticed his breath catch before he stepped back.
"When you're ready, meet us through that door," he pointed to the main exit, "not through here," he gestured towards the adjoining door.
Confusion filled me as I asked, "What's happening?"
"We're under attack. Don't worry, Mark, and I will keep you safe," he assured me before leaving through the adjoining door. "Now might be a good time to adopt a more inconspicuous look," he added, glancing back at me, before locking the door behind him.
In a rush, I followed Archer's instructions, quickly finding a matching sweatshirt and pants in the closet. I slipped on my white sneakers, grabbed a face cap to hide my hair, and slid my phone into my pocket. As I reached the main exit, Mark was waiting there, alert and ready. Archer paced down the hallway but stopped when he saw me. Mark pulled me into his arms, his voice filled with concern.
"Are you okay, my birdie?" he asked softly. Despite the dangerous situation, a shy smile formed on my lips.
"I'm fine," I replied, nodding to reassure him.
"Great. Let's get out of here," Mark said, and I stole a glance at Archer. Our eyes briefly met before he looked away. Archer took the lead, guiding us through the corridors of his vast home and leading us through an unfamiliar door. Outside, about twenty guards stood ready, prepared for the imminent threat.
"Where is he?" Archer asked Chad, his voice low and authoritative.
"Entering the East gate," Chad replied, pointing to his earpiece indicating he was receiving information through a communication device.
"Mark, you can leave now. I'll take it from here," Archer said.
"That plan has already blown to bits, Archer. We'll stay and fight with you," Mark said firmly, handing me a gun. Archer looked from the gun to Mark, and I could see his jaw working.
He walked to stand closely beside Mark, his taller frame towering over him. Lowering his head close to Mark's ear, Archer growled, "You want to gamble with your sister's life, Mark?"
"I am here, she is safe. We'll just do as we've always done," Mark replied.
"And what the hell is that?"
"Use him as a body shield," I interjected, completing Mark's sentence. Mark chuckled, but Archer didn't find it amusing at all. He glared at me and then back at Mark.
"This is not a good idea, Mark. She needs to get the hell out of here," Archer persisted.
"Our time is up," Mark said, aimed, and fired. Archer turned, and we witnessed masked men dropping from a helicopter before it was hit and exploded. Men fell to the ground with the debris of the helicopter. Archer growled, "Fine!" and pointed a finger at me. "Stay behind him!" I was taken aback by his fierce protectiveness, but I nodded. To everyone else, he yelled, "I want all of their heads!"
Falling in step with Mark, I whispered, "Why are people trying to kill him? They're awfully persistent." Mark chuckled.
"He's an ass," he replied.
I giggled. "I noticed. But still, this is a little extreme," I emphasized the word 'little'.
"Whatever Archer is caught up in, it's not our concern. Our priority is to assist and then make our escape," Mark stated firmly. He quickly donned a mask himself and then removed my face cap to replace it with a mask, securing the clasp around my neck. He carefully positioned the face cap back on my head, pulling it down to cover my eyebrows. Mark locked his gaze with mine, his jaw clenched in a resolute manner. I was familiar with that expression, knowing it meant he was withholding information from me. It was clear he didn't want me to pry or ask any questions.
Archer's men surrounded us, shielding us from gunfire. Archer's attention was unwavering as he started to shoot, striding as if he were invisible. When we found a wall shield with our backs against the building, I found myself sandwiched between Archer and Mark. Archer gave me a glance, then looked down at himself and removed his bulletproof vest. My eyes widened in surprise as he put it on me, deftly, without meeting my gaze. I threw Mark a look, and I saw him watching Archer intently, his eyes darting.
When Archer finished, he simply pulled out the gun he had concealed in his waistband and hugged his back to the wall. Mark and I exchanged a glance.
"Let's do this," Archer said, leaving the hiding spot. Although I was holding a gun, I didn't get a chance to use it. I was surrounded by a human shield, with both Mark and Archer flanking me as if I were some kind of princess. I gasped when a bullet hit two of the guards simultaneously. Archer yelled out a command, and two other guards left the formation to help the injured ones. Soon, I spotted a distinguished man standing on the porch of an impressive building. He was tall, just like Archer, and I couldn't tell who was taller. His eyes matched Archer's in color, and they both had the same black hair. Something told me he must be Archer's father, Victor Donovan. His posture exuded power and authority, and he was also quite handsome. His temple was dusted with gray hair, as white as snow. Jessica, Archer's sister, stood by his side, brandishing a gun. Another older woman stood to Victor Donovan's right, and from their proximity, I deduced she must be his wife. Both women were beautiful. Jessica studied our group, her eyes cold and menacing when they landed on me. Only the sound of more gunshots made her look away.
"Father, you were supposed to be in the basement!" Archer said.
Victor Donovan scoffed. "I want to see the idiot who thinks of invading my home," the older man said, descending the fleet of stairs leading to the porch. He walked purposefully toward the area where the gunfire raged. Guards rushed to encircle him. Archer threw Mark a glance, and I saw Mark shake his head. Whatever Archer wanted Mark to do, it was clear he didn't agree.
"Get inside, Jess, and you, Patricia!" Archer yelled.
"You don't have to ask me twice!" the older woman muttered, striding inside. Jessica did the opposite, rushing down to join our group, and forcing herself into the circle.
"I believe my place is by your side, brother," she said, her voice laced with a hard edge that I couldn't quite place. She made the word "brother" sound like mockery, although I wasn't entirely sure.
"Jess, what the fuck are you doing?" Archer snapped.
"Joining the masked gang. Is there a spare for us mere mortals?" she mocked, looking directly at me. Mark moved to stand between us. She grinned up at him. "Hello, enforcer," she said.
"You should listen to your brother, Jessica. This might get ugly, and nobody is going to hold it against you," Mark teased. It was evident they were familiar with each other, but why would she call Mark the "enforcer"? Was that some kind of nickname?
Victor Donovan's voice interrupted the brief reprieve. "Jared Kuklinski! Show yourself! It's me you want, so come and get me!" The dark skies kept lighting up with blown helicopters and aircraft. It looked like a war zone. Every attempt to fly a craft over the estate was thwarted. A formation of men appeared to our right, led by a brute of a man. Victor Donovan raised his hand, and the gunfire ceased. I watched with bated breath as the men strode forward and stopped about twenty feet away.
"You killed my father!"
"That doesn't sound like a question," Victor Donovan said calmly. Archer looked at Mark, who nodded. I swear I could see relief in Archer's eyes.
"We need to go," Mark whispered in my ear. I gave him a searching gaze and nodded. I couldn't tell him that I didn't want to leave Archer in such a dangerous standoff. I nodded. Stealing a glance in Archer's direction, our eyes met. He nodded and looked away. I felt someone's eyes on me and turned to find Jessica looking at me with the deadliest eyes I had ever seen.
Mark slowly pulled me back, taking measured steps in reverse. The guards, acting in an organized manner, created a path for us and closed in around us, providing cover as we moved. We crouched low, following Mark's lead. Glancing behind, I saw only the backs of Archer's men, standing strong in the face of danger. I silently prayed that they would resolve whatever conflict had drawn people to target Archer and his family. With Mark's arm wrapped protectively around me, we hurried back the way we had come.