Chapter 7 - Into the Dark
Elena carried Leo into the concealed vault as the heavy mechanical bookshelf slid open on oiled pneumatic tracks. The interior was surprisingly modern: recessed LED lighting illuminated a modest space equipped with plush seating, medical supplies, and a monitor wall displaying the estate's external security feeds.
As soon as Elena stepped inside, the door sealed shut with a heavy hydraulic hiss, completely cutting off the sounds of the mansion.
Elena placed Leo on the small cot in the corner, wrapping him in a soft fleece blanket. She moved quickly to the monitor console.
The screens told a terrifying story.
On Camera 3, two men dressed in civilian tactical gear were moving through the glass conservatory, crowbars in hand. Behind them walked Victoria, wrapped in an expensive fur coat, her face twisted in a sneer of desperate rage. She was gesturing wildly, directing the men toward the grand hall.
On Camera 1, Marcus was standing at the bottom of the grand staircase, utterly alone. He wasn’t armed with a gun, but he held a thick manila folder in one hand and his phone in the other.
Elena watched with bated breath. Why was Marcus standing alone? Where were the police? Where was the rest of his security detail?
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Suddenly, the screen showing the main driveway flickered. A second convoy of black vehicles—this time bearing official state police insignias—swarmed the front gates, ramming straight through the barricade Victoria’s men had tried to wedge shut.
Victoria had brought street muscle to a corporate battlefield. Marcus had summoned the full weight of the state.
