Chapter 18 - The Fortress|
The Hamptons estate emerged from the darkness like a sleeping giant. It was a sprawling, modern compound built of steel and glass, situated on twenty acres of private, dense woodland bordering a cliff over the ocean. As the helicopter touched down on the reinforced helipad, floodlights illuminated the grounds, revealing dozens of armed men patrolling the perimeter.
Alessandro helped us out of the chopper, and we were immediately flanked by four guards who escorted us inside. The interior of the house was cold and sterile, smelling faintly of ozone and floor wax. It wasn't a home; it was a military bunker dressed up in architectural digest aesthetics.
"Take them to the lower level," Alessandro instructed Marco, shrugging off his heavy coat. "Lock down all exterior blast doors. Nobody enters, nobody leaves."
"What about you?" I asked, grabbing his arm before he could walk away.
"I need to coordinate with the men on the ground. I have to turn this property into a kill zone," he said softly, cupping my cheek. "Go with Marco. You and Emma will be perfectly safe downstairs."
I nodded, swallowing my fear. Marco led us down a hidden staircase behind a bookshelf in the library, descending deep into the bedrock beneath the house. The safe room was expansive, equipped with beds, a small kitchen, and a wall of monitors displaying the security feeds from all over the estate.
Emma sat on the edge of a bed, looking around the windowless room. "It's like a submarine," she observed quietly.
"Exactly," I said, trying to sound cheerful. "And we are going to stay down here where it's cozy until Daddy says it's clear."
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I sat in front of the security monitors, my eyes scanning the black-and-white feeds of the dark woods. For the first few hours, nothing moved except the wind blowing through the trees. But just past midnight, the motion sensors along the eastern perimeter suddenly flashed red.
They were here.
