Chapter 13
The security booth was a small stone structure nestled against the massive stone pillars of the main estate gates. Julian pushed open the unlocked wooden door, ushering Clara and Walter inside out of the driving rain before pulling Marcus in last and slamming the heavy door shut behind them.
The interior of the booth was warm and dry, smelling faintly of stale coffee and electronic equipment. A bank of security monitors flickered against the back wall, showing various angles of the estate grounds—all of them currently showing empty corridors or rain-swept lawns as the tactical teams converged on the main house.
Julian moved directly to the central control panel, flipping open a locked metal cover to expose the manual master switch for the gates. "Walter, keep an eye on the monitor covering the north approach. If anyone heads down this driveway, we need to know immediately."
Walter positioned himself in front of the wall monitors, his hands resting on the console while Marcus stood sullenly in the corner, his tailored suit ruined by mud and rainwater.
Clara leaned against the edge of the desk, pulling the amber vials out of her pocket to inspect them once more under the desk lamp. "The chemical stability of the baseline antidote is holding, but we need to get these samples to the federal health commission before morning rounds begin at St. Jude's."
Julian threw the heavy iron toggle switch inside the control panel. With a deep, mechanical groan, the massive wrought-iron gates began to swing outward, unlocking the estate from the outside world and exposing the private drive to the open public street beyond.
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"The perimeter is open," Julian announced, turning away from the control panel. "We take the gatehouse vehicle—the silver sedan parked in the bay—and drive straight to the federal district office downtown."
Before anyone could move toward the door, the red emergency alarm light on the control panel began to flash erratically, accompanied by a high-pitched digital chime. On the central monitor, the live feed from the estate’s main entrance showed three unmarked black SUVs turning off the public road and speeding directly up the private drive toward the security booth.
