Chapter 33
CHAPTER 33 — THE ICE FORTRESS
Two hours later, the aircraft descended through a blinding coastal fog, landing on the helipad of Fort Preble—a massive, nineteenth-century granite fortress rising out of the freezing waters of the Atlantic. The interior had been completely retrofitted into a high-tech fortress, lined with supercomputers and heavily armed security personnel.
Anna kept Lily close as they walked through the sterile, concrete corridors. "Claire," Anna whispered, her eyes darting to the guards. "This place feels exactly like Haven Ridge. Just with better weapons. We need an exit strategy."
"I know," Claire muttered, her hand resting on the compact pistol she had concealed in her jacket lining. "We don't trust Victoria. Not for a second."
They were led into a massive, cavernous control room overlooking the ocean. In the center of the room stood a black obsidian pedestal housing a three-tiered biometric scanner.
"This is it," Victoria said, stepping up to the pedestal. "The central terminal. Once the protocol is activated, Thomas’s proxy keys will be permanently deleted, and the global asset network will recognize Claire and Lily as the sole controllers of the Whitmore legacy."
Alexander stepped between Victoria and the pedestal. "Before anyone touches that scanner, I want the truth about Thomas. You said he wasn't the eldest. What did that mean?"
Victoria’s eyes narrowed, the shadows of the room deepening around her.
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"Thomas was adopted, Alexander," Victoria revealed, her voice echoing in the concrete room. "Your grandfather brought him home from Europe after the war to hide a bloodline that belonged to our greatest corporate rivals. He was never a Whitmore. He was a spy planted in our crib. And tonight, he thinks he’s finally reclaiming his birthright."
Suddenly, the fortress's proximity alarms began to blare a deafening red alert. The massive steel blast doors at the back of the control room groaned under a sudden, violent impact.
