Rat-a-tat-tat-tat ... One by one, the attackers in the yard fell like bowling pins. Toby had been standing near the wall, which put him in a blind spot that the shooters upstairs couldn't reach, so he avoided immediate danger. He scrambled back along the wall, sweating, and raised his crude shotgun to fire up at the windows. The others with guns sprayed wildly in return. But they'd walked into an ambush—there was no time to aim. They just fired wildly, not hitting anyone. As Toby scrambled for a plan, the gate that hadn't blown earlier creaked slowly open. A tall man with long legs filled the doorway. He wore a ballistic vest. A man and a woman followed behind him, and an old woman with streaked black-and-white hair trailed as well. Toby looked up and saw four black muzzles pointed straight at him. This is insane! Weren't there supposed to be only two people in the house? Weren't there supposed to be no guns? That bitch, Lisa. She fed us bad intel on purpose! Toby braced the shotgun with both hands, unsure which shooter to take first. Each of the four had an automatic rifle. With his single-shot homemade gun, he didn't stand a chance. Those thoughts flashed by in an instant. Toby bit his lip and cursed under his breath.Screw it! If I can't get out alive, I'm not gonna let them walk away either. I'll just take as many as possible! Before he could pull the trigger, the old woman upstairs barked a booming order. "Shoot those sons of bitches dead!" Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat ... A storm of bullets and sparks ripped through the air. Toby, out front, was instantly riddled with holes. As he fell, the shot he fired went straight up into the sky, not even grazing a single hair on his enemies' heads. Ghania had opened fire first, then Cassian in front, with Olivia and Harold sweeping the yard in a tight, coordinated barrage. Natalie manned the upstairs window, covering lanes and gaps. Soon, the courtyard was eerily still—no enemy was left breathing. Harold exhaled, "That felt good." Olivia lowered her gun and punched his shoulder playfully. "I thought you were all about careful research and experiments—turns out you like real firepower too?" Harold puffed his cheeks. "Last time at Maplecourt, I missed the big shootout with Cyril's gang. Today I actually got to shoot." Ghania wagged a finger at her son in a lecturing tone. "Respect life. Fighting is fighting, but don't treat it like a game!" Harold rolled his eyes. "Respect life? You looked like you were having the most fun out there." Ghania clicked her tongue, wiped sweat from her brow, and rubbed her aching wrists. "The enemy's life isn't life. Just get it done." They all laughed. Hearing the noise die down, Nadia came out of the house with Dominic, peeking into the yard cautiously.Seeing bodies on the lawn, she gasped and covered her son's eyes. Then, steeling herself, she pulled her hand away. The world had changed—survival of the fittest was the rule now, and her child would have to face it one day. Dominic peered from behind his mother with wide, scared, curious eyes at the scene. Godfrey's men hadn't all rushed into the yard; most stayed outside the gate, and when the gunfire started, they scattered back into the fog. Natalie stepped into the yard, looked over the bodies, and frowned. "The numbers don't add up." Cassian scanned the scene. "Yeah. This is only 70 people tops." Natalie decided immediately. "Chase them down. No survivors." Those invaders already knew too much—how many there were, what weapons they had—so none could be left alive. Otherwise, if these guys spread the word, who knows who might take notice. The people who came this time weren't as strong, which was why they managed to escape smoothly. But if next time, someone showed up with more powerful weapons and a full understanding of their situation, that would be dangerous. So, they had to silence every single one. Elsewhere, Theodore and his men crouched near the fog at the rear of the column. When the attackers used explosives, Theodore figured they were trying to force entry into Villa 1, so he planned to use the chaos to pick off a few more. But seconds later, the courtyard exploded with a storm of gunfire. Rat-a-tat ... rat-tat ... crackle ... The gunfire kept going.Suddenly, the invaders up front panicked and turned to run.