Chapter 24 - The Breach at the Chalet
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Before Madison could ask another question, the lights inside the chalet flickered twice and died, plunging the room into absolute darkness.
The low hum of the tactical monitors cut out, replaced by the howling wind outside the mountain windows.
"Grid power just got cut," Arthur said instantly, his voice flat and tactical as he reached beneath the table and pulled a silenced submachine gun from a mounted magnetic holster. "Sensors are down."
"Vance!" Madison called out, pulling her P320 from her holster and shoving Ethan behind the heavy oak desk. "Where is your perimeter team?"
Director Vance stood near the front window, peering through night-vision binoculars into the treeline.
"Thermal imaging shows six... no, eight heat signatures advancing up the ridge," Vance reported grimly. "High-end mercenaries. Silenced weapons. They found us."
"How?" Madison demanded, her heart hammering against her ribs. "We flew in on a black flight! Nobody tracked that transport!"
"They didn't track the plane, Commander," a cold, computerized voice suddenly echoed through the chalet's backup emergency speaker system.
The speakers crackled to life as a remote signal hijacked the local comms.
"They tracked the satellite ping from Ethan's drone," the voice spoke smoothly with an upper-class British accent. "Did you really think your father was the only engineer who understood that code, Madison?"
Arthur raised his weapon, eyeing the ceiling speakers. "Victor."
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"Hello, Arthur," The Architect replied with a low, amused chuckle. "You kept me waiting in these cold mountains for twelve years. I believe it's time we settled the estate."
A heavy flashbang grenade shattered the high glass window, bouncing onto the hardwood floor.
