Chapter 4 - The Cartel at the GateI walked back toward the main foyer to brief my security detail, but before I reached the grand staircase, the mansion’s primary security grid violently flickered and died.
The overhead chandeliers plunged into total darkness for three seconds before the emergency backup generators kicked in, bathing the halls in a harsh, pulsing amber glow.
Warning: Perimeter Breach - North Gate.
The automated voice echoed softly through the intercom system.
I didn't panic. I drew my Sig Sauer from my shoulder holster, checked the chamber, and keyed my secure comms-link. “Daniel! Report.”
“Boss, we’ve got trouble,” Daniel’s voice crackled through the static, punctuated by the faint, distant pop of suppressed gunfire. “A tactical team in unmarked black vans just rammed the north gate. They’re bypassing the cameras. They’re heading straight for the east wing.”
Dominic Rossi.
The moment Evelyn went dark, Rossi knew his inside asset was compromised. He wasn't going to wait for me to bring the fight to his docks; he was coming here to burn the evidence and wipe out everyone who knew about the pipeline.
“Lock down all internal bulkheads between the west and east wings,” I ordered, breaking into a sprint across the marble foyer toward the grand staircase. “Do not let them reach the staff quarters!”
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“Already on it, boss! But they’ve got thermal breaching charges. They’re blowing the courtyard doors!”
A thunderous BOOM shook the mansion’s foundations, showering the foyer in plaster dust and splintered glass. The war had arrived at my doorstep, and this time, it wasn't about money or docks. It was about blood.
