Chapter 6 - The Traitor Within
Despite the security surrounding the estate, the shadow of Victor Vance lingered over them like a dark cloud. Dominic was locked in a fierce underground war, dismantling Vance’s operations piece by piece.
One rainy Thursday night, Dominic was away attending a high-stakes negotiation in South Boston. Mina and Ezra were upstairs playing board games when the security alarms suddenly began to blare.
Red emergency lights flashed through the hallways.
Mina’s heart stopped. She rushed to the door, locking it, then turned back to Ezra. "Stay behind the bed, Ezra. Don't make a sound."
Downstairs, shouting and gunfire echoed through the high ceilings. Someone had breached the perimeter—someone who knew the security codes.
Mina grabbed a heavy brass candlestick from the desk, standing firmly between the door and the hidden nook where Ezra crouched.
The heavy oak door rattled. Then, the lock clicked.
The door swung open to reveal Julian, one of Dominic’s trusted lieutenants. His face was pale, his gun drawn.
"Mina, thank God," Julian said, breathing heavily. "Vance’s men are outside. I need to get Ezra to the panic room."
Mina took a step forward, but then she noticed something: Julian wasn't checking the hallway behind him. He wasn't acting like a man under fire. And on his left wrist, a fresh scratch was visible—a mark left by the gate latch that only opened from the inside.
"Where is Dominic?" Mina asked carefully, holding the heavy brass stick tight behind her back.
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"He's trapped downtown," Julian said, reaching for Ezra. "Come on, kid, move!"
"You're lying," Mina said, her voice dropping. "You let them in."
