Chapter 4 - The InfiltrationThe night was black and heavy with rain over the wealthy enclaves of Greenwich, Connecticut.
Garrett Holloway's private estate was a sprawling twenty-acre property surrounded by ten-foot iron fences, motion sensors, and armed private security guards patroling the grounds with attack dogs.
Inside a modified surveillance van parked half a mile down the road, Nico Reyes sat surrounded by glowing monitors, monitoring the estate's security feed.
In the back of the van, Sienna was pulling on a sleek black tactical suit, strapping a compact data-cloning device to her thigh. Damian stood across from her, adjusting his own black tactical gear, a silent, deadly presence in the dim light.
"We have a three-minute window," Nico reported, tapping his keyboard rapidly. "I’ve looped the thermal camera feed on the north perimeter wall. Once you're over the wall, you have eight minutes to reach the library server before the security sweep rotates."
Damian looked at Sienna, his face serious. "If anything goes wrong, you don't fight. You pull the emergency signal on your wrist and head for the eastern gate. I’ll draw their fire."
"I can handle myself, Damian," Sienna said, tightening the strap on her waist. "Caleb taught me how to clear a room before I even got into law school."
Damian stepped forward, taking her face in both of his hands, his dark eyes intense. "I don't care about your brother's training right now, Sienna. I care about you. Do you understand me? Nothing in that server is worth your life."
Sienna stared into his fierce, protective gaze. The cold wall she had built around her heart since Caleb’s death felt like it was crumbling, piece by piece, under the heat of Damian's intensity.
"I’ll be careful," she whispered. "Just stay close."
"Always," Damian promised, pressing his lips firmly against her forehead before pulling his tactical mask up.
They moved through the rainy darkness like shadows.
Scaling the iron perimeter wall effortlessly, Damian guided Sienna through the manicured gardens, avoiding the laser tripwires with practiced ease. Within four minutes, they reached the side terrace of the mansion.
Damian used a high-frequency laser cutter to slice a clean circle through the glass of the French doors. They slipped inside the silent, dark library.
The room smelled of old leather and tobacco. High mahogany shelves lined the walls, stretching up to the ceiling.
Sienna moved directly to the large portrait of Garrett Holloway hanging behind the massive oak desk. She pressed her fingers along the wooden frame, feeling for the hidden spring latch Caleb had described in his final encrypted journal.
Click.
The portrait swung outward, revealing a sleek, steel biometric safe built directly into the wall.
"Nico, we're in," Sienna whispered into her earpiece. "I have physical access to the server port."
"Connecting to the bypass protocol now," Nico’s voice came through the comms. "Hold tight, Sienna. This will take ninety seconds."
Sienna plugged the cloner into the safe’s data port. Green progress bars began downloading thousands of encrypted files—offshore bank accounts, wire transfer logs, and the raw audio files of Holloway authorizing the sabotage of Caleb Cross's boat.
"Got it," Sienna whispered, tears burning her eyes as she saw her brother's name flash on the screen. "It's all here. Everything Caleb died for."
Suddenly, the library doors swung open.
The overhead lights slammed on, blinding them with harsh white light.
"I knew you couldn't resist, you little bitch," Garrett Holloway’s voice echoed through the room.
Holloway stood in the doorway, wearing a heavy silk robe, holding a heavy-caliber revolver pointed directly at Sienna’s chest. Flanking him were four heavily armed security guards with automatic weapons drawn.
Damian stepped in front of Sienna instantly, shielding her completely with his own body.
"Lower the weapon, Garrett," Damian said, his voice flat, calm, and utterly terrifying.
Holloway laughed insanely, his eyes wild with greed and panic. "Lower my weapon? In my own home? You trespassed on my property, Vance! I can shoot both of you right now, claim self-defense, and throw your bodies into the Long Island Sound just like I did with her pathetic brother!"
Sienna’s blood turned to ice.
Damian didn't flinch. He slowly raised his hands, stepping forward by a fraction of an inch, drawing all the guards' attention toward himself.
"You won't shoot, Garrett," Damian said coolly. "Because if my heart rate monitor drops below sixty beats per minute, the encrypted files currently downloading to my server will be automatically broadcast to the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the Interpol financial crimes division."
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Holloway’s hand trembled slightly on the trigger. "You're bluffing!"
"Try me," Damian whispered, his whiskey eyes locking onto Holloway with absolute dominance. "Press the trigger, Garrett. Let's see who loses everything first."
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