Chapter 15 - Whispers in the Dark
The interior of the Costa estate had become a deadly labyrinth. With the EMP disabling all smart lights, electronic locks, and communications, the sprawling manor was cast into total blackness, illuminated only by the pale moonlight filtering through the high windows.
Julian’s mercenaries—a squad of eight highly trained mercenaries—moved quietly through the corridors, clearing rooms with tactical flashlights mounted on their weapons.
Inside the dark study, Gabriel silently motioned for Leo to take the left door leading to the gallery, while he and Nora took the hidden passageway behind the broken bookcase—a secret passage Gabriel had shown Nora during her early days at the estate.
"Listen to me," Gabriel whispered near her ear, his breath warm against her cold cheek. "The passage leads to the lower wine cellar. From there, you can reach the tunnel out to the boat house. I want you to go, Nora."
Nora looked at him in the dim light, grabbing his collar firmly. "I told you at the altar, Gabriel. I am not running anymore. I know this house just as well as you do now. We take them out together."
Gabriel stared at her, a mixture of intense love and ferocious pride burning in his eyes. He reached into his tactical vest, pulling out a compact knife with a serrated edge, placing it in her hand. "Never hesitate."
"Never," she promised.
They slipped into the narrow stone hallway hidden within the walls. Through small air grates, they could hear the heavy steps of the mercenaries in the main hall.
"Target alpha is likely in the study," a harsh voice echoed through the grate. "Clear the room and set the charges. Master Vane wants the entire estate burned to the cliffside once the ledger is secured."
Nora touched Gabriel’s shoulder, pointing down the narrow stairwell. She whispered softly, "The central breaker room is on the sub-level. If we manually bypass the EMP damage using the emergency diesel generator, we can reset the manor’s automated defense shutters and lock them in individual sectors."
Gabriel’s eyes lit up. "You remembered the auxiliary blueprint."
"I studied it while you were asleep," she said with a faint, fierce smile.
Moving like shadows, they navigated down the hidden stairs to the basement level. Two mercenaries were guarding the generator room, their flashlights cutting through the dust-filled air.
Gabriel stepped out from the shadows without a sound. Before the first mercenary could react, Gabriel grabbed the man’s rifle, twisting it upward while striking him squarely in the throat. The man collapsed silently. The second guard raised his weapon, but Nora dropped from the ledge above the doorway, landing on his shoulders and driving the heavy metal handle of her knife into his temple. The guard crumpled to the concrete floor.
Gabriel caught her as she landed, checking her quickly. "Impressive."
"I had a good teacher," Nora breathed, stepping up to the heavy steel panel of the generator.
Working quickly under the beam of a small pocket light, Nora rewired the main circuit breakers while Gabriel kept watch at the door. Her fingers moved with precision, connecting the backup copper leads.
"Three... two... one," she counted down, slamming the heavy manual lever down.
A deep mechanical roar reverberated through the foundation of the house as the massive diesel generator roared to life.
Instantly, emergency floodlights flared on throughout the entire mansion. Heavy titanium security shutters dropped down from the ceilings in every hallway, slamming shut with deafening thuds and isolating the mercenaries into small, separated zones.
Over the manor's intercom system, Nora took the microphone, her voice echoing clearly and coldly into every room where Julian’s trapped men stood.
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"Welcome to the Costa estate," Nora declared, her voice firm and unwavering. "You entered as hunters, but you will leave as prisoners. Drop your weapons, or the automated systems will flood your sectors with non-lethal knockout gas in ten seconds."
Through the security monitors in the breaker room, they watched as the mercenary leader cursed, looked at the steel shutters trapping his men, and finally threw his assault rifle to the floor.
