Chapter 1 - The Father's Wrath
Forty miles away in the city, the mahogany desk in Alvin Sterling’s study trembled slightly under the sudden, violent force of his fist. His phone was mounted on a secure dock, casting a cold, high-definition glow across his weathered, pale face. The live video feed from the mountain retreat showed his only daughter, seven months pregnant with his grandchildren, lying motionless on the frost-covered stone beside the pool.
Above her, Diego’s face twisted in sudden panic as the red alarm light on my medical bracelet blinked erratically against the dark.
Alvin didn't scream. He didn't cry. His breath caught in his throat for a single, terrifying beat, and then his eyes hardened into something absolute and lethal.
"Diego," Alvin whispered to the empty room, his voice a low, gravelly snarl. "You just signed your own death warrant."
In one fluid motion, Alvin reached for the secondary master console on his desk. With a few rapid keystrokes, he unlocked the secondary overrides for the mountain property—overrides Diego didn't even know existed. The automated deadbolts on every exterior door of the retreat slammed into place with a definitive, mechanical double-click, locking Diego in, while simultaneously sending a priority-one dispatch to the private medical evacuation chopper on standby at the nearby airstrip.
On the screen, Diego was frantically bending down, shaking my shoulder. "Tory! Hey, get up. Stop playing games, get up!"
Diego’s voice carried through the high-gain audio sensors straight to Alvin’s desk. When he realized I wasn't waking up, the polished corporate facade finally shattered. Panic crept into his eyes as he stood up and lunged for the back door, yanking the handle.
It didn't budge.
Diego threw his shoulder against the heavy wood, slamming into it twice. The reinforced smart-locks held firm.
"What the—" Diego swore, his voice rising in panic. He ran toward the front entrance, but those doors were locked tight as well.
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Alvin picked up his encrypted satellite phone, dialing a direct three-digit extension. "This is Alvin Sterling," he said, his voice flat, razor-sharp, and utterly devoid of mercy. "The property lockdown at Eagle's Nest is engaged. Send the extraction team. And make sure local law enforcement stays fifty miles away until my private security secures the perimeter."
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