Chapter 10 - The Unseen Monster
The basement workshop beneath the Evanston house was a terrifying masterpiece of dark science.
Unlike the rustic wine cellar at my estate, this space was an immaculate, clinical laboratory. Stainless-steel workbenches lined the walls, lit by bright halogen strip lights. Oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and racks of high-tech circuit boards glowed with green and blue digital readouts.
On a central table sat three more matte-black boxes—identical to the acoustic disruptor Marco had pulled from my nursery wall.
I threw Dr. Mercer into a metal swivel chair in the center of the room. He collapsed into it, trembling violently, his hands clutching his knees.
"You built four of them," I noted, stepping up to the central workbench and looking down at the three finished devices.
"Victoria... Victoria paid for a production run," Mercer stammered, wringing his thin hands. "She said she wanted redundant units for multiple properties!"
I picked up one of the black boxes, turning it over in my gloved hands. It was lightweight, beautifully engineered, and utterly monstrous.
"Do you have children, Dr. Mercer?" I asked quietly, looking around the clinical room.
Mercer swallowed hard, looking down at the concrete floor. "No."
"I have three," I said, setting the box back on the table. "Eight months old. Triplets. Their names are Theo, Miles, and Nora. For two hours, they screamed until their vocal cords bled because of this little black box."
"I didn't know they were infants!" Mercer cried out, tears of fear welling behind his glasses. "You have to believe me! I’m a researcher, Mr. Moretti! I design hardware for clients! I don't control how they deploy it!"
"When you build a weapon designed to inflict psychological torture on human beings, Doctor," I said, stepping closer until my shadow completely covered him, "you are responsible for every soul it burns."
I looked at Marco. "Destroy the lab. Burn every schematic, every hard drive, every prototype."
"No!" Mercer shrieked, jumping out of his chair. "That's twenty years of proprietary research! You can't destroy it!"
Marco grabbed Mercer by his collar and slammed him back into the chair, holding him firmly in place with one heavy hand while pulling a incendiary device from his tactical bag with the other.
"Gabe is wiping the remote servers as we speak, boss," Marco reported. "In five minutes, Dr. Mercer’s research won't exist on any drive in the northern hemisphere."
I walked over to Dr. Mercer, leaning down until my face was inches from his.
"You are going to pack a single suitcase, Doctor," I said, my voice cold enough to freeze blood. "You are going to take the first flight out of O'Hare Airport to Europe tonight. If I ever see your face in North America again... if I ever hear of a device like this existing anywhere near a child... I will not send Marco to knock on your door."
Mercer nodded frantically, tears streaming down his face. "I'll go! I'll leave tonight! I swear it on my life!"
"See that he gets to the airport, Marco," I ordered, turning toward the stairs. "And make sure he’s on the plane."
"Understood, boss," Marco replied, drawing his weapon as he looked down at the trembling scientist.
I stepped out of the basement, walking back up into the quiet Victorian house.
Outside, the autumn sun was beginning to set over the icy waters of Lake Michigan, painting the sky in deep shades of purple and orange.
I stood on the front porch, taking a deep breath of the cold, clean air.
The threat was finally gone. Not just the client, but the creator. The shadow that had loomed over my home, threatening the quiet nursery where my children slept, had been completely erased.
I pulled out my phone and dialed the estate inner line.
Elena answered on the second ring. "Moretti estate."
"Elena," I said, my voice softening instantly as the dark coldness of the hunt drained from my body. "How are the babies?"
"They're wonderful, Mr. Moretti," Elena replied warmly, the sound of soft baby babbling audible in the background. "They just finished their afternoon bottles. Sophie is sitting on the rug showing Theo her drawing book."
"And Sophie?" I asked, a soft smile touching my lips. "Is she doing well?"
"She’s wearing her gold angel wing necklace," Elena laughed softly. "She hasn't taken it off all day. She says it makes her feel like a real guardian."
"She is a real guardian," I said softly, looking out at the quiet street. "Tell her I’ll be home for dinner."
"We'll have everything ready, Mr. Moretti," Elena promised.
May you like
I hung up the phone, sliding it back into my pocket, and walked down the porch steps toward my idling SUV, ready to leave the shadows behind and go home to the light.
The End
