Chapter 12 - Shadows on the Playground
Far away from the heavy security of the estate boardroom, the morning air was crisp at Lily’s private academy in downtown Chicago. Lily, now thriving in her second year at the elite institution, laughed as she chased her classmates across the sprawling turf field during recess.
Watching from a black sedan parked discreetly across the street, two operatives adjusted their binoculars. They wore the unmarked tactical gear of the New York syndicate faction.
"The target is secure, but the girl is isolated," one operative muttered into his comms link. "Should we make the grab now?"
"Negative," a cold voice crackled back through the encrypted channel. "Wait until she steps outside the perimeter gates. We don't touch Morty directly yet. We take what matters most to his new advisor."
Unknown to the watchers, a second vehicle sat parked two spaces behind them—an unmarked Morty security cruiser. Inside, two elite protection agents watched the watchers every move on a closed-circuit monitor.
"Command, this is Unit Four," the lead agent whispered into his radio. "We have surveillance units from New York casing the school grounds. Requesting authorization to intercept."
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Back at the estate, Sarah’s tablet buzzed with a high-priority alert. Her eyes locked onto the live security feeds streaming from Lily’s school perimeter. Her heart hammered against her ribs, but her tactical training under Julian’s roof kicked in instantly.
"Intercept them," Sarah’s voice echoed sharply through her secure comms link. "Do not let them within fifty yards of my daughter. Bring their lead man back to the estate alive."
