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CHAPTER 74 PART 2
The villa stood two hundred meters down the street, its stone walls pale against the snow, smoke curling from its chimney. From this angle she could see the front door, the courtyard, and the second floor windows. A perfect observation post."It has a nice view." Paolo hovered in the doorway, wringing his hands. "I hope you find it comfortable, Captain.""I'm sure I will." Holt smiled without warmth. "Tell me something, Mr. Greco. How many people come and go from the villa on an average day?"Paolo's smile faltered. "I...I couldn't say, Captain. I don't really keep track.""Of course." Holt set her duffel on the bed. "Thank you for the keys."Paolo left quickly, almost tripping over the threshold. Holt locked the door behind him, unpacked her notebook, and wrote the first line in neat block letters.Day one. Subject observed. No irregularities. Continue monitoring.She stared at the sentence for a moment, then crossed out "no irregularities" and wrote underneath it, in smaller letters
CHAPTER 74 PART 1
Mercer read the report standing up. He had not bothered to sit, and he did not bother to hide how tired he looked. The lantern above his desk swung gently in the draft, throwing a moving shadow across the pages in his hands."Nothing." Mercer set the folder on the desk. "No physical evidence. No witnesses. No trail. The food simply appears.""That's correct, sir." Captain Holt stood at attention across from him, her voice flat with frustration. "I searched every building within a half mile of that villa. I interviewed three representatives. I sat in his living room for forty minutes. I found a hot spring, a fireplace, and a steak dinner in a city that is frozen solid.""And yet nothing you can put on paper.""No, sir." Holt's jaw tightened. "Which is why I'm recommending a full tactical raid. We take the villa at night, secure Miles, and conduct a forced interrogation."Mercer stared at her for a long moment. Then he walked slowly around the desk and sat on its edge, folding his arms
CHAPTER 73 PART 2
Holt arrived at the villa's front door ten minutes later, her boots stamping snow off on the stone steps. She wore a neatly pressed uniform, her hair pulled tight under her cap, her face pleasant and professional. Sean opened the door before she could knock."Captain Holt." He extended a warm hand. "What a surprise. Come in out of the cold."She shook it, her grip firm, her eyes already scanning the hallway behind him. "I apologize for dropping in unannounced, Director. I was in the area and thought I'd pay a courtesy call.""You're always welcome." Sean waved her toward the living room. "I just put coffee on."The living room was warm and lit by a crackling fire in the stone fireplace. Holt walked slowly across the thick rug, taking in the leather sofa, the shelves of neatly arranged books, the soft glow of the oil lamp on the side table. She lowered herself onto the sofa, her posture straight, her cap resting on her knee.Sean returned a moment later with two steaming mugs. He hande
CHAPTER 73 PART 1
Sean was halfway through his morning coffee when he heard it. A faint metallic click, tiny and sharp, carried across three hundred meters of frozen air on the north wind. It was the sound of a rifle bipod unfolding against hard concrete.He did not move. He did not look up. He simply lowered his cup to the kitchen table and kept his eyes on the window frame, listening."Danny." Sean's voice was calm and quiet. "Don't look at the window. Walk to the pantry and bring me the binoculars."Danny, standing by the stove with a plate of eggs, froze for half a second. Then he turned slowly and walked to the pantry as if nothing in the world had changed. "Something wrong?""Maybe." Sean's face stayed neutral. "Bring them to me casually. Like I asked for the salt."Danny returned with the binoculars hidden inside a folded dish towel. Sean took them, wandered to the second floor window with his coffee in his other hand, and raised the lenses to his eyes as if he were admiring the view.The northe
CHAPTER 72 PART 2
They searched for an hour. They opened every car, checked every trunk, pried open every panel. They found nothing but frost, rust, and a faded child's toy wedged under a seat.Holt climbed back to the street shaking snow off her jacket. She was no closer to an answer than when she had started. If anything, she felt further away.She spent the afternoon interviewing building representatives. The first was Paolo Greco, the thin schoolteacher with the round glasses. He received her in his small office in Building 3, hands folded on the desk, his face nervous but honest."Mr. Greco." Holt kept her tone friendly. "Where do the weekly rations come from?""From Mr. Miles." Paolo blinked at her. "His apartment, I believe.""His apartment." Holt's eyes narrowed. "Have you ever seen a delivery truck? A storage room? Boxes arriving?""No." Paolo shook his head slowly. "Never. He just brings it. Or Mr. Park does.""Brings it from where?""From his apartment." Paolo's voice grew smaller. "That's w
CHAPTER 72 PART 1
The military truck rolled up to the eastern gate of Ridgewood at nine in the morning, its tires crunching over fresh powder, its canvas cover flapping in the wind. Captain Diana Holt sat in the passenger seat with a clipboard on her knee, watching the guard post through the frosted windshield."Remember the cover story." Holt kept her voice low. "We're delivering extra ammunition. Nothing more."Sergeant Dalton, a broad shouldered man gripping the steering wheel, nodded. "Yes, ma'am. And the rest of us?""We look around." Holt's eyes did not leave the gate. "Casually. Like tourists who happen to carry rifles."Danny met them at the checkpoint with his hands in his coat pockets and a polite, easy smile. He had been told to expect a delivery, but the sight of a captain climbing out of the truck made his instincts prickle."Captain Holt." Danny gave a friendly nod. "I wasn't told an officer was coming.""Just making sure the delivery arrives properly." Holt returned the smile, thin and c
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