Chapter 16 - Infiltration of Elmwood
The subterranean drainage tunnel was cold, damp, and reeked of stagnant water and decaying leaves. Marcus moved first, his tactical flashlight filtered with red lens tape to avoid detection from the security cameras mounted along the perimeter wall above.
Ethan followed closely behind, his small frame allowing him to navigate the narrow concrete pipe with silent agility.
After fifty yards of crawling through the dark, they reached an iron maintenance grate that opened directly into the subterranean wine cellar beneath the main mansion. Marcus pulled a pair of heavy bolt cutters from his pack, muffling the blades with a cloth before severing the rusted padlock.
*Snap.*
Marcus pushed the grate open, scanning the dimly lit cellar with his weapon drawn. The room was empty, lined with racks of vintage wine bottles and antique wooden casks.
"Clear," Marcus whispered, pulling Ethan up into the room.
Above their heads, the heavy muffled thud of footsteps echoed through the ceiling joists. Sterling's private security operatives were shouting orders, moving heavy equipment, and preparing for the impending police breach.
"They're burning the paper archives in the study," Marcus noted, smelling the faint scent of smoke wafting through the ventilation shafts. "The main server vault is through that steel blast door at the end of the corridor."
They moved silently down the hallway, avoiding the overhead security sensors. At the end of the hall stood a massive, bank-grade vault door equipped with a digital keypad, a biometric retinal scanner, and an NFC proximity sensor glowing with a soft amber light.
On the wall beside the vault door, a digital countdown timer was ticking down in bright red LED digits:
**PURGE SEQUENCE INITIATED: 08:42... 08:41... 08:40...**
"Sterling activated the thermite incineration protocol," Marcus said, his pulse quickening. "In less than nine minutes, thirty pounds of military thermite will melt the server racks into liquid slag."
Ethan stepped directly in front of the NFC sensor panel. He pressed his left shoulder blade against the scanner pad.
The panel beeped once, shifting from amber to a brilliant green.
*VOICE PROMPT: "SECONDARY ENCRYPTION KEY DETECTED. IDENTITY: ABIGAIL COLE (AUTHORIZED PROXY). AWAITING PRIMARY BIOMETRIC OVERRIDE."*
"It recognized the key!" Ethan exclaimed. "Now we just need Sterling's retinal scan to open the door!"
Suddenly, the lights in the corridor flared blindingly bright.
A cold, mocking voice echoed from behind them.
"You won't need to look far for my eyes, boy."
Marcus spun around, raising his weapon, but four private security mercenaries armed with submachine guns stepped out from the intersecting hallway, their laser sights painting Marcus's chest.
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Behind them stood Senator Donald Sterling, holding a nickel-plated .45 caliber pistol.
"Drop the weapon, Hale," Sterling commanded, his face twisted in a smug, victorious grin. "Or the boy’s head will be decorating that vault door before the timer hits seven minutes."
