{ Mia }
Scarlett's voice was calm, almost too calm. "Perimeter lockdown activated. Reinforced barriers deployed. Intruders are being monitored."
The walls vibrated faintly as steel shutters slid into place over the windows. A faint hum filled the air as Scarlett engaged the house's defenses.
"Mia," Scarlett's voice sounded in my ear. "There are three individuals outside, heavily armed. Two at the front door, one circling the back."
My heart pounded. "What do they want?"
"Unknown. Their movements suggest military training. This is not a random attack," Scarlett replied.
I gripped the gun tightly, my palms slick with sweat. "Scarlett, keep my mom safe. Seal her in the living room."
"Understood."
I bolted toward the hidden weapons stache beneath the floorboards. I slid it open, revealing a compact rifle and extra ammo.
" Scarlett give me my new programmed watch ."
As she handed it to me, I quickly put it on and focused on the weapons scattered in front of me .
Scarlett's voice broke through the silence again. "Mia, they're attempting to override the security system. I estimate they'll breach the main entrance in three minutes."
I swallowed hard. Three minutes. "Scarlett, disable all external access. No overrides, no back doors. Can you do that?"
"Affirmative. System will go into full isolation mode."
I glanced at the monitor Scarlett had activated on the wall. The grainy footage showed three figures dressed in black tactical gear, their faces obscured by helmets. One was hunched over a device near the front door, while another held a weapon trained on the house.
"Why are they here?" I muttered to myself.
Scarlett responded, her voice quieter. "I believe they're looking for you, Mia."
My stomach sank.
I remembered my mom, I couldn't let her see this. I couldn't let her get hurt.
"Scarlett," I whispered, "if they break in, engage automated defenses. Non-lethal if possible."
She paused, then continued ."Understood. But, Mia, I suggest you prepare yourself for a confrontation."
I exhaled, forcing my hands to stop shaking.
Scarlett continued. "They're moving faster than anticipated. Two minutes until breach."
My thoughts raced. I had two minutes to decide: Should I stand my ground and face them, or try to lead them away from the house to protect my mom?
Then Scarlett's urgent voice broke my train of thoughts." Mia, your mom is missing."
My eyes widened in shock." What do you mean missing?!" I asked, my heart hammering in my chest .
Then, more gunshots echoed in my ears , " Scarlett?" I said urgently. " Pull up the security footage." I pleaded .
Suddenly my screen flashed and I saw , my mom holding a gun, standing on one of the men in a pool of blood.
The color drained from my face.' how did she get out ?!'
' were these people sent for her ?'
"Scarlett ?! how is this even possible? How did she get past the lockdown?" I asked my tone almost scolding .
" I -I .... don't know "
My jaw tightened." Scan the house for any exits and entrances." I barked, leaving no room for argument.
" There are many hidden exits in the house Mia ."
My breath hitched as I stared at the screen. My mom stood firm, her face calm and unreadable as she aimed the gun at the second intruder. The first one lay crumpled at her feet, unmoving.
"Mom?" I whispered, as if saying her name would make sense of the chaos unfolding before me.
Scarlett's voice interrupted my racing thoughts. "Mia, the second individual is engaging your mother. She may be in immediate danger."
I bolted toward the nearest passage, heart hammering. "Open the fastest route to the front yard, now!" I barked.
The walls shifted again, revealing a narrow corridor that bypassed the main living room. I sprinted through it, gripping the rifle tighter.
As I reached the exit, Scarlett chimed in. "One remaining intruder is circling toward the back entrance. Your mother remains stationary."
Panic clawed at me. I burst through the door and skidded to a stop, my eyes locking onto the scene in front of me.
My mom was crouched now, her weapon trained on the second man. He was barking orders, his voice sharp and commanding. But she didn't flinch.
"Mom, stop!" I yelled, raising my rifle instinctively.
Her head snapped toward me, and for a split second, her expression cracked. Was that fear? Relief? Confusion ? It was gone before I could decipher it.
"Mia, get back inside!" she shouted, her voice sharper than I'd ever heard.
"No! You're going to get hurt!" I took a shaky step forward, aiming at the man who now turned his attention to me.
But before I could act, my mom did. She fired, the deafening crack of the gunshot echoing through the yard. The man fell, clutching his leg as he cried out in pain.
My mom lowered the gun and turned to me, her face pale but resolute. "Get back inside, now," she said firmly.
I shook my head, stepping closer. "No, you're the one who has to explain. What the hell is going on? Why do you have a gun? How did you know... "
"Mia," Scarlett's voice cut in, calm but urgent. "The remaining intruder is inside the house."
The blood drained from my face.
"What?" I whispered.
Scarlett repeated, "The back entrance was breached approximately thirty seconds ago. The individual is armed and approaching your location."
"Why didn't you tell me!" I snapped, my voice sharp.
Scarlett's voice faltered slightly, something I'd never heard before. "The breach was silent and used advanced cloaking tech. I only detected it seconds ago, Mia."
I spun on my heel, scanning the house's side for movement. My mom was already moving, rushing toward me with surprising speed. She grabbed my wrist, her grip tight.
"We'll deal with this later," she said sharply. "Right now, we survive. Together."
Her tone left no room for argument.
Scarlett's voice chimed in again. "Mia, I've disabled all escape routes except for the safe room. You must neutralize the threat or retreat immediately."
I swallowed hard, adrenaline surging. "Scarlett, give me a visual on his location."
"Uploading now," Scarlett replied. A small display on my watch flickered to life, showing the grainy figure of the intruder moving through the kitchen. He was scanning the area methodically, a rifle gripped in his hands.
"Mia," Scarlett added, her voice unusually serious, " This individual is highly trained. Proceed with extreme caution."
I nodded though I knew, she couldn't quite see me .
My mom leaned over my shoulder, her expression hard. "We shoot him," she whispered.
I stared at her, incredulous. "You're not trained for this!"
But then I noticed the way she gripped the gun steady, practiced, like she'd done it a thousand times before. "Mom… how do you even know how to... "
Her lips quirked in a humorless smile. "And you are?"she answered ingnoring my second question.
Before I could respond, the sound of breaking glass echoed from the house. The intruder wasn't waiting.
My mom grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the house's side door.
I stared at her, the gun steady in her hands, and realized I didn't know her as well as I thought. My mom, the woman who baked cookies and scolded me for missing curfew, was something else entirely and it terrified me.
"You cover me. Scarlett, lock down the rest of the house behind us."
"Understood," Scarlett replied.
The door creaked open, the faint smell of gunpowder lingering in the air. My pulse thundered in my ears as we stepped into the dim hallway, shadows stretching like claws along the walls. My heart thundered in my ears as we crept forward, each step careful and silent.
"Kitchen," Scarlett whispered in my earpiece. "Six meters ahead."
My mom raised her gun, her hands steady.
I couldn't decide what terrified me more: the intruders, or the fact that my mom seemed completely at ease handling them.
I took a deep breath, aiming down my sights.
A sudden crash came from the kitchen, followed by a low, guttural voice. My mom's grip tightened on her gun, and I forced myself to steady my breathing. In the next second, chaos erupted.