The gun roared with a sharp crack that shook the air. The target remained untouched. A fresh hole marked the wall ten feet away. Theodore's eyes widened, his voice filled with disbelief. "That was almost point-blank ... and you still missed?" Raven turned with her cheeks burning. "Real bullets are different. The recoil is heavier than rubber rounds. Maybe ... maybe I should try one more time?" Theodore's lips twitched. She spoke as though she had ever managed to hit the mark with rubber rounds before. Even so, he did not tear down her confidence. "Go ahead. I'm not worried about losing a couple of bullets." Raven felt a rush of gratitude at his patience. She faced forward again and raised the gun. Her hands tightened around the grip as she tried harder to steady her aim. Another blast shook the room. Another miss. Raven spun back, her face red with shame. "Do you ... do you want me to try again?" Theodore went quiet for two beats. "I said I'm fine with two bullets. Three is asking a lot." Relief washed through her chest. She shoved the gun into his hand without delay. Theodore slid the weapon away, his gaze lingering on her flushed face and the sweat glistening at her hairline. "From now on, stick to hand-to-hand. Leave the gun behind."Raven nodded quickly. "Okay." Outside the door, the security captain finally exhaled. His body, stiff as stone until now, finally loosened. He could at last stand without his nerves stretched to the edge. Outside the Mervyn Villa ... Lisa stiffened and yanked her son a few steps back. Joe lifted his eyes toward her, his face puzzled. "Mom, what was that sound? It was so loud!" Her voice was flat, her pale skin hidden under the mask. "A gunshot." Joe tilted his head. "A gun?" He remembered the toy guns at preschool. You pressed the trigger, and they sang the cartoon song. That had been fun. So this was what a real gun sounded like. Pain throbbed through Lisa's arm. Climbing the steel cable was no longer possible. Her plan had been to pass villas three and four, then explore villas one and two. Those two estates were far larger than the others. Their gardens spread wide, which meant the walls had to have weak points. But before she even reached Villa 2, the sound of gunfire thundered from inside. Lisa wasted no time. She pulled her son away from the Mervyns villa at once. Firearms were nothing to take lightly. Her eyes drifted toward Villa 1. It matched Villa 2 in size, but its style was strikingly different. Villa 2 radiated old-world luxury, every corner flaunting its wealth.Villa 1 glistened sleek and modern. Wide glass walls shone with light, even through the heavy fog that smothered the street. Lisa stopped and peered from afar. Those glass walls should have laid the house bare to her sight. Yet from every angle she tried, the inside stayed hidden. Her brows drew tight. "Special glass?" She circled the building. She discovered more than glass. Cameras covered the walls, every one humming with power. This was not the lifeless decoration she had seen elsewhere. These cameras were alive, active, and watching. Her hand brushed across her mask. At least she had not wandered too close. The fog still cloaked her. They probably didn't see me. Lisa pulled in a long breath. Her eyes lit with sharp hunger as she stared at the house. This family has to hold fuel in vast supply. To power so many lights, to run so many cameras, their wealth has to be immense. Excitement surged in her chest, but she kept herself still. She studied from outside and nothing more. The mountain villas followed a clear design. The deeper she went, the finer the estates became. These last two at the road's end were the crown of the community. Villa 2 had already split with gunfire. Villa 1's strength would not be less. It likely had weapons as well. Her mind weighed the risks. She gripped her son's arm and turned away. Joe looked up, confusion in his eyes. "Mom, we're not going inside?" Lisa's voice was sharp, her tone final. "No. Villa 5 nearly killed me. These two are worse. I can't face them alone."Her steps quickened as she spoke with force. "We go back first. We'll make a plan later." Her arm bled still. Even if it had healed, what then? She would climb into Villa 1's yard, and then what? The glass showed nothing. The owners cared for privacy. They would never allow an easy weakness for her to see. On her way back toward the Chi estate, she pulled out her notebook. Her handwriting dragged, heavy and deliberate, across the page. Villa 5. People unknown. Traps present. Alarms and poison arrows. Villas 3 and 4. To be checked. Villa 2. People unknown. Guns confirmed. Reason for gunfire unclear.'