Chapter 42 - The Ghost in the Pines
Julian did not panic. His heart rate did not elevate. The warmth of the father vanished in a fraction of a second, instantly replaced by the ice-cold calculation of the apex predator.
He placed the glass of bourbon on the counter, untouched. He walked silently to the hidden panel behind the pantry door, pressing his thumb against the biometric scanner. The wall slid open, revealing a matte-black tactical vest and a suppressed Heckler & Koch USP. He slipped the vest over his sweater and chambered a round.
"Lily," Julian said softly into the house intercom, his voice perfectly calm and steady.
"Yes, Dad?" her voice echoed back from her upstairs bedroom.
"I need to check the generator outside. Initiate Protocol Echo. Lock your door."
"Okay, Dad. Be quick, it's movie night."
"I will be."
Julian stepped out the back door, melting seamlessly into the dark shadows of the pine trees. The mountain air was freezing, but he didn't feel it. He moved with absolute silence, navigating the dense forest with night-vision optics. He reached Sector Four, a rocky ridge overlooking the main access road.
He found the bypassed wire. It had been spliced with a military-grade shunt, keeping the circuit closed so the alarm wouldn't sound. But Julian’s system was designed to detect micro-fluctuations in voltage. The intruder was good, but Julian was the man who had written the manual.
A twig snapped softly behind him.
May you like
Julian spun, raising his weapon with blinding speed. Standing ten feet away, hands casually resting in the pockets of a tailored trench coat, was a ghost from his past.
"Hello, Julian," the man said smoothly. "Your security is better than I remembered."
