Chapter 12 - The Ghost Protocol
"Lock down the entire estate immediately," Julian barked, marching back into the grand hallway of the villa.
"I want the steel shutters drawn, the biometric locks engaged, and every single guard heavily armed and patrolling."
Anton nodded sharply, pulling his tactical radio from his belt and shouting orders in rapid, fluent Italian.
Julian ran out onto the grass, grabbing Elena by the waist and scooping Isabella into his strong arms.
Elena gasped in surprise, dropping the small rubber ball she had been throwing for the baby.
"Julian, what is going on? You're hurting my arm," Elena said, her eyes widening in sudden panic.
"We need to get inside the house right now," Julian said, his voice leaving absolutely no room for debate.
He carried them swiftly through the terrace doors, watching as the massive steel security shutters slammed down over the glass windows, plunging the house into artificial light.
Elena clutched her daughter tightly to her chest, the horrific memories of her time as a fleeing maid flooding back into her mind.
"Is it Victor?" she whispered, her voice trembling with an old, familiar terror. "Is he out of prison?"
"No, he is still rotting in a cell," Julian promised, leading her down the hallway toward the master suite.
"But he hired someone on the outside, a ghost operative, and they managed to breach our outer perimeter."
Before Elena could ask another question, the lights in the villa flickered violently and completely died.
The emergency red backup lights engaged immediately, casting a sinister, bloody glow over the expensive artwork on the walls.
Anton burst out of the security control room, holding a customized assault rifle.
"They cut the main power grid, Boss, and our thermal cameras are being jammed," Anton reported grimly.
Julian opened a hidden panel in the wall and pulled out a pair of loaded, suppressed handguns.
He handed one to Anton and kept the other, racking the slide with a terrifying, practiced precision.
"Take Elena and Isabella down to the subterranean panic room, right now," Julian commanded.
Elena grabbed Julian’s shirt, refusing to let go.
"You are coming with us, Julian! I am not losing you to these monsters again!" she cried.
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Julian kissed her fiercely, his hands cupping her beautiful, terrified face.
"I am going to hunt this bastard down before he takes another step inside my home," Julian swore.
