THE NIGHT OF THE BLACKOUT
The estate was swallowed by darkness.
Only the emergency lights flickered along the hallways.
Julianne instinctively stepped in front of her father.
"Stay behind me."
Richard shook his head.
"They're not here for me."
"They're here for the evidence."
The head of security spoke into his radio.
No response.
Every communication channel was dead.
A second later...
BOOM!
An explosion rocked the west wing.
Smoke filled the corridor.
Children screamed from upstairs.
Julianne's heart stopped.
"Samuel! Emma!"
Without thinking, she ran toward the staircase.
Two security guards followed her.
When she reached the children's bedrooms...
The doors were wide open.
The rooms were empty.
Her blood ran cold.
Then she heard a familiar voice.
"Mama!"
Samuel.
The sound came from the panic room beneath the library.
Julianne rushed downstairs.
The steel door slowly opened.
Inside, Samuel and Emma clung to their nanny, frightened but unharmed.
Julianne dropped to her knees and embraced them.
"I'm here."
"I'm never leaving you again."
Behind her, Richard quietly picked up a black object from the floor.
A tracking beacon.
Someone had planted it inside the estate.
He frowned.
"This wasn't a kidnapping."
"It was a test."
Meanwhile...
Marcus landed in Zurich.
Before he could leave the airport, two black SUVs blocked the exit.
Men in dark suits stepped out.
One of them held up an official badge.
"Mr. Henderson?"
"Please come with us."
"Who are you?"
The man answered calmly.
"International Criminal Police."
"We have reason to believe your life is in immediate danger."
Marcus hesitated.
Then his phone vibrated.
A text from an unknown number appeared.
DON'T TRUST THEM.
He looked back at the officers.
They were waiting.
Calm.
Patient.
Marcus suddenly noticed something strange.
The badge one of the men was carrying...
had yesterday's date printed on it.
A fake.
Without another word, Marcus turned and ran.
"Stop him!" someone shouted.
Gunshots echoed through the terminal.
Passengers screamed.
Marcus sprinted through the crowd as bullets shattered the glass behind him.
Outside, a black motorcycle skidded to a stop beside him.
The rider lifted the visor.
It was Eleanor.
"Get on!"
Marcus jumped on the bike.
Seconds later, they disappeared into the streets of Zurich.
Back at the estate, Richard examined the tracking beacon more closely.
His face turned pale.
He recognized the serial number immediately.
He whispered only four words:
"They found the vault."
Julianne looked at him in confusion.
"What vault?"
Richard met her eyes.
"The place where I've hidden the truth for fifteen years."
TO BE CONTINUED...
