Chapter 5 - The Silent Beacon
The faint, rhythmic flashing of a tiny red diode on the security panel sent a jolt of pure terror through the room. Arthur stumbled back against the pantry door, his face turning an unhealthy shade of grey. Clara pulled herself up from the floor, clutching Viktor’s jacket around her shoulders as she stared at the flashing light in disbelief.
"That's not mine," Arthur stammered, holding his hands up defensively. "I don't even know the master override code for the exterior alarms. Only Viktor and Sterling have level-four clearance!"
Viktor didn't blink. His fingers moved across the keypad with practiced speed, attempting to override the transmission, but the screen flashed a bright red error message: EXTERNAL SYNDICATE OVERRIDE ACTIVE. Someone had hardwired a secondary transmitter directly into the estate’s main communication hub, routing every security feed straight to an unknown IP address outside the city limits.
"It’s not Sterling," Viktor murmured, his voice laced with sudden, cold realization. "And it’s not Arthur. Someone inside this house has been selling our logistical schedules for months."
Clara stepped closer to Viktor, her fear momentarily eclipsed by a surge of protective instinct. "The study," she whispered urgently. "When I was dusting the bookshelves yesterday, I noticed the panel behind the safe was loose. I thought it was just poor maintenance, but... but there was a USB drive plugged into the main server port."
Viktor’s head snapped down to look at her. "Why didn't you tell me immediately?"
"Because Arthur threatened to fire me and throw me out on the street with nowhere to go!" Clara fired back, her voice rising in desperate frustration. "Every time I tried to approach you, Sterling or Arthur intercepted me, claiming you were in high-level meetings. They made it impossible to speak to you alone!"
Before Viktor could reply, the overhead lights flickered violently and died, plunging the large kitchen into pitch darkness save for the eerie, pulsing red glow of the security panel. A heavy thud echoed from the front foyer, followed by the unmistakable sound of reinforced glass shattering under the impact of a sledgehammer.
"They're inside," Viktor whispered, drawing his weapon once more and stepping protectively in front of Clara.
May you like
Arthur screamed, lunging blindly toward the pantry, but a heavy shadow stepped out from the hallway darkness, grabbed the butler by the throat with terrifying ease, and hoisted him off the floor with a sickening crunch.
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