Chapter 4 - The Hound’s JudgmentBennett let out a choked, desperate shriek as seventy pounds of Belgian Malinois pinned him to the rough stone, hot breath fogging inches from his jugular.
"Call him off!" Bennett screamed, clawing frantically at the gravel, his expensive suit tearing instantly. "Call the damn dog off, Julian!"
Julian walked over slowly, standing over the twitching, terrified man. He looked down with absolute, chilling detachment.
"Rex doesn't like traitors, Bennett," Julian said softly. "Remember what I told you? He only growls at two things. People carrying unauthorized weapons... and liars."
"I have federal protection!" Bennett gasped, spitting blood and dirt. "They're coming! If anything happens to me, the raid goes down immediately!"
"Let them come," Julian said. He glanced at his watch. "You said four minutes. That was two minutes ago. Where are they?"
A heavy silence fell over the service road, broken only by the distant sound of ocean waves and Bennett’s ragged, hysterical breathing. No sirens wailed. No squad cars crested the hill. The highway remained empty, save for the idling black sedan with its dead driver slumped over the steering wheel.
Bennett’s eyes bulged. He stared at the car. "What... what did you do?"
From the shadows behind the gate, Camille stepped forward, wiping a small, suppressed-caliber pistol with a silk handkerchief before sliding it neatly into a thigh holster hidden beneath her skirt.
"The local police captain was replaced three weeks ago, Bennett," Camille said quietly, her voice as smooth as ice water. "Julian doesn't just read files on housekeepers. He checks who owns the police departments in three counties. The Morettis didn't send you an immunity deal. They sent you an executioner disguised as a federal informant."
Bennett’s face turned the color of curdled milk. "No... no, that's impossible. I spoke directly to—"
"To a man who took Julian's money three years ago," Julian finished for him. He crouched down, grabbing Bennett by the expensive silk lapel and lifting his head inches from the snapping jaws of the dog. "You thought you were playing chess, Bennett. But you were just a pawn being cleared off the board so I could find out who else in the inner circle was taking bribes."
Rex let out a low, vibrating growl that rattled the teeth in Bennett’s skull.
"Please," Bennett whimpered, tears streaming through the dust and gravel on his cheeks. "Julian... please. Don't let the dog..."
"Rex," Julian commanded softly.
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The dog froze instantly, its jaws hovering half an inch from Bennett’s throat, its muscles coiled like steel springs.
Julian stood up, brushing off his knees. He looked at Camille. "Get the car turned around. We're going back to the house. The real guests will be here soon, and I want to finish my coffee."
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