Chapter 46 - The Shadow at the Gates
The digital security monitor in the basement control room blinked with a dull, amber light. Vincent stared at the high-definition feed of the estate’s outer perimeter, his coffee cup hovering halfway to his lips. A single thermal signature had just flickered near the north access road, right where the dense treeline met the Moretti property line.
It wasn't a deer, and it wasn't one of the rotating security patrols.
“Maya,” Vincent called out, his voice dropping into the flat, tactical register he hadn't used in years.
Maya stepped away from the central console, her eyes instantly locking onto the secondary screen. “That’s not a casual hiker. No one comes within a mile of this ridge without tripping three tripwires unless they have military-grade thermal shielding.”
Vincent didn’t hesitate. He reached beneath the console, unlocking the heavy steel drop-box, and pulled out a matte-black firearm with practiced, fluid precision. “Stay here. Lock down the residential wing. I’m going to check the north gate.”
May you like
“Vincent,” Maya said, her hand catching his arm before he could turn. Her dark eyes flashed with an intensity that brooked no argument. “We left the old life behind, but we didn't leave our instincts. You’re not going out there alone.”
A heavy silence hung in the control room for a split second before Vincent gave a sharp, definitive nod. “Alright. Stay behind me and keep your comms open to the main house. If this is Arthur Vance or one of his federal hit squads testing our borders, we end it before it ever reaches Damien or Ellie.”
