For nearly a full minute, no one fired.
The courtyard outside the De Luca estate had turned into a battlefield frozen in time.
On one side stood the Circle's soldiers, their black tactical uniforms blending with the shadows cast by the estate walls. Snipers remained stationed on rooftops and garden structures, rifles trained on the mansion.
On the other side, Gale's reinforcements had formed defensive lines around the property.
Armored trucks blocked the main gate.
Guards took positions behind stone walls and decorative fountains.
Weapons were raised.
Safety switches were off.
But fingers hesitated on triggers.
Vanessa stood in front of the security monitors, watching every movement carefully.
Marco leaned beside her, whispering quietly.
"This feels like the longest minute of my life."
Vanessa didn't look away from the screen.
"That's because everyone's calculating."
Marco frowned.
"Calculating what?"
Vanessa pointed toward the courtyard camera.
"The first shot."
