Chapter 3 - Operation NightfallBy midnight, I parked my car three blocks away from the massive iron gates of Richard Mercer’s sprawling estate on the north side of town.
The security perimeter of the Mercer manor was legendary: motion-activated floodlights, infrared perimeter sensors, and a private security guard who drove a golf cart around the grounds every thirty minutes. But Daniel had designed this very security system twelve years ago, before his falling out with Richard.
And Daniel had left behind a backdoor access protocol known only to him—and now, hidden inside an encrypted file Noah had uncovered on the home network.
I pulled my dark waterproof hood over my head, stepped out into the chilly drizzle, and crept along the thick evergreen hedge bordering the eastern fence line. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. One wrong move, and Richard’s guards would catch me. Worse, they would use my trespassing as permanent proof of my alleged “instability” to strip away my custody rights forever.
For Noah, I whispered to myself, finding a surge of fierce, ice-cold courage.
I reached down beside the brick pillar of the rear utility gate. Noah’s note had specified the exact location: The junction box behind the garden shed. Press the third relay switch twice, then hold for five seconds.
May you like
I did it.
With a soft, electrical click, the heavy side service door popped open an inch.
