For the first time that night, the gunfire stopped.
The silence that followed felt unnatural.
Vanessa stood in the ruined main hall of the mansion, staring through the shattered front entrance as the last of the Circle vehicles disappeared down the long road leading away from the estate.
The siege ram engine growled once more before fading into the distance.
Then nothing.
No shouting.
No gunfire.
No explosions.
Just the sound of wind moving through broken glass and the faint crackle of small fires still burning in the courtyard.
Marco stepped beside her and rested his rifle against his shoulder.
"Well," he said slowly, looking out at the empty driveway, "that's not how I expected this night to end."
Vanessa didn't respond immediately.
Her eyes moved slowly across the damage left behind.
