Yes. I could feel them now, the pressure in the pipes, the electrical signals from the control valves.
I opened my eyes, glancing at the kitchen feed. Yuri had managed to arm himself with a frying pan, but he was bleeding from multiple wounds now. One of the men had circled behind him while the others kept him distracted.
Without thinking twice, I activated the sprinkler system—not throughout the building, but specifically in the kitchen section. Water rained down from the ceiling in a sudden deluge, startling Yuri's attackers.
The distraction lasted only seconds, but it was enough. Yuri seized the moment, swinging the heavy pan with unexpected speed, connecting solidly with one attacker's temple. The man dropped like a stone.
I almost smirked. Guess that surprised them.
Encouraged, I dove deeper into the system, seeking out the security doors next. Each floor had emergency lockdown protocols—heavy metal barriers that could seal off sections of the building in case of a breach.
I triggered them selectively, slamming shut doors throughout the second floor where most of O'Rourke's men were still searching.
The security feed showed their confusion as they found themselves trapped in various rooms, separated from each other. Denton's voice crackled over their radios, demanding reports, his frustration evident even without audio.
Back in the kitchen, Yuri was still outnumbered. The remaining two attackers had recovered from their surprise and were advancing again, more cautious now but no less determined.
I needed to give him more of an edge.
I located the electrical subsystems next, focusing on the lighting circuits. With careful precision, I began manipulatingthe kitchen lights—not just turning them on and off, but creating a disorienting strobe effect. Bright flashes followed by seconds of darkness, the pattern unpredictable and jarring.
On the monitor, I saw the fake officers shielding their eyes, their movements becoming hesitant and uncoordinated in the fluctuating light. Yuri, despite his injuries, seemed to anticipate the pattern somehow, striking during the moments of darkness and retreating when the lights flashed.
Had he realized someone was helping him? Or was he just that good at adapting? Either way, it was working. He caught one attacker with a brutal upward strike under the chin. The man staggered backward, slipping on the wet floor and crashing into a rack of pots that came down on top of him with a deafening clatter.
One on one now. Better odds, but Yuri was wounded and tiring. I could see it in the way he braced himself against the counter, in the heaviness of his breathing.
I scanned the kitchen feed for anything else I could use to his advantage. The industrial stove caught my eye—gas burners controlled by electronic ignition. A dangerous option, but these men had come prepared to kidnap and kill. They'd shown no mercy to Nicolai or his people.
Why should I show mercy to them?
I activated the gas flow to the burners without triggering the ignition—just enough to create a threatening hiss that caught the attention of Yuri and his remaining opponent.
Both men glanced toward the sound, but only Yuri seemed to understand what it meant. He immediately backed away from that section of the kitchen, pulling a dish towel from a rack and covering his nose and mouth.
The last attacker, confused by the hissing and the flashing lights, made the mistake of moving closer to investigate the stove.
I held my breath, finger hovering over the key that would trigger the ignition. Could I really do this? Deliberately hurt someone, maybe kill them?
But then I thought of Nicolai being dragged away unconscious. Of his men beaten and bound. Of what O'Rourke would do to all of them—to me—if he got what he wanted.
I pressed the key.
The spark was small, but in the gas-rich environment near the stove, it was enough. A whoosh of flame erupted, not a massive explosion but a controlled burst that sent the attacker reeling backward, his fake uniform sleeve on fire. He screamed, batting at the flames in panic.
Yuri didn't hesitate. He grabbed a heavy cast iron skillet and swung it with all his remaining strength. The man crumpled to the floor, motionless.
I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, watching as Yuri extinguished the small fire with a nearby fire extinguisher. He was scanning the kitchen now, his eyes darting from the sprinklers to the lights to the stove.
"You're welcome," I whispered, though of course he couldn't hear me.
After ensuring his attackers were truly incapacitated, Yuri staggered to a sink and splashed water on his face, washing away some of the blood. Then he looked directly at the security camera in the corner of the room and gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.
He knew someone was helping. He knew it had to be me.
I turned my attention back to the other monitors. Denton was in Nicolai's office now, tearing apart bookshelves, looking for hidden compartments or safes.
Two of his men were still trapped by the security doors on the upper floor, while others were regrouping in the main diningarea, clearly rattled by the building seemingly coming alive around them.
