Chapter 15 - The Auditor's Instinct
The safehouse beneath Vance Tower was a reinforced concrete bunker designed to withstand a military siege.
Dorian had rushed Marin and Titan down the secure freight elevator the moment the ballroom was locked down.
The heavy steel doors sealed shut with a deafening metallic clang, isolating them entirely from the chaos above.
Marin sat at the stainless steel table in the center of the room, her hands shaking slightly as she pulled off her expensive diamond earrings.
Titan rested his head heavily on her lap, his fur still bristling with residual adrenaline.
Dorian paced the length of the bunker, speaking into a secure encrypted radio.
"I want the entire building swept," Dorian ordered Marcus, his voice vibrating with lethal authority.
"Nobody leaves until the police process the scene."
"And find out how three armed men bypassed the metal detectors in the kitchen."
Dorian threw the radio onto the table, running a hand through his dark hair.
"This is my fault," Dorian said, turning to Marin.
"I should have handled Thorne my way."
"I put you in danger to play by the rules."
Marin stood up, the flowing fabric of her midnight-blue gown looking completely out of place in the cold, gray bunker.
She walked over to him, grabbing his face with both hands.
"Stop," she commanded firmly.
"No one got past your security without help, Dorian."
"Those men were wearing the exact uniforms of the catering company we hired."
"They bypassed the kitchen scanners because someone with clearance let them in."
Dorian’s eyes narrowed as her words clicked into place.
"A mole," Dorian realized.
Marin nodded quickly, her analytical mind already racing miles ahead of the panic.
"Open your laptop," she told him.
"The catering company was vetted three weeks ago."
"But the guest list and the final floor plan were only accessible to four people."
Dorian quickly unlocked his encrypted terminal on the desk.
Marin leaned over his shoulder, her fingers flying across the keyboard.
She pulled up the foundation's internal network logs, accessing the security swipe-card records for the freight loading dock.
"Look," Marin pointed to a specific timestamp on the screen.
"At 7:15 PM, during the height of the gala arrivals, the loading dock doors were opened using an executive override key."
"Who owns that key?" Dorian asked, his voice deadly quiet.
Marin traced the ID number back to the employee registry.
Her blood ran cold when the name appeared on the screen.
"Elena," Marin whispered, staring at the name of Dorian's trusted executive assistant.
Dorian stared at the screen, the betrayal settling over him like a suffocating blanket.
Elena had been the one to deliver the wooden box.
She was the one who managed the event staff.
"She knew exactly where we would be standing when the lights went out," Dorian said softly.
He reached for his radio, his face completely devoid of mercy.
"Marcus," Dorian said into the comms.
"Find Elena."
"Do not kill her."
May you like
"Bring her to the sub-basement."
It was time to send a message back.
