Chapter 4 - The Albany Connection
Grace stared at the handwritten note in her palm, her thumb tracing the familiar slant of her father’s lettering.
"Where the oak tree fell," she murmured aloud.
Luca leaned over her shoulder, studying the coordinates written on the oilpaper. "Do those numbers mean something to you, Grace?"
"They’re coordinates for the old property in Albany," Grace said, her voice shaking with raw emotion. "When I was twelve, a lightning storm knocked down a massive three-hundred-year-old white oak tree behind our workshop. My father spent two whole summers carving out the stump. He built a hidden cellar underneath it to store his tools and aged lumber."
"He didn't build the vault under my family’s mansion," Luca realized, a dark, dangerous understanding settling over his features. "He built it on his own land, right under Vance’s nose."
Before Luca could say another word, the heavy wooden door of the study burst open.
Victor Reyes stepped into the room, his tactical radio crackling with frantic static. "Boss! We’ve got perimeter breaches at the south gate. Three black SUVs just blew through the security barriers. They’re armed!"
Luca didn't panic. His entire demeanor transformed in a split second from a calculating businessman into a lethal strategist.
"Victor, initiate Lockdown Protocol Charlie," Luca commanded calmly, reaching into his desk drawer and pulling out a sleek black sidearm. "Get the estate staff into the safe room immediately."
"They aren't here for the staff, Mr. Moretti," Victor reported, drawing his own weapon. "They’re using heavy military-grade jammed signals. Our external comms are down."
Gunfire erupted in the courtyard outside—the sharp, popping sound of automatic rifles echoing off the marble fountains.
Grace leaped to her feet, her heart leaping into her throat. Titan growled fiercely, stepping directly in front of Grace, his hackles raised, his massive jaw dripping with anticipation.
Luca walked over to Grace, grabbing her firmly by the shoulders. His dark eyes were fierce and unyielding.
"Listen to me, Grace," Luca said, his voice cutting through the rising chaos outside. "Vance knows we found the key. He’s pushing his final play right now. We cannot let him take you or that paper."
"What about the estate?" Grace gasped, hearing glass shattering in the grand foyer down the hall.
"The estate is steel and stone; it can be rebuilt," Luca declared. He reached for a hidden panel behind the bookshelf, pushing a heavy brass latch. The entire wall swung inward with a soft pneumatic hiss, revealing a dark, narrow staircase leading down into the subterranean tunnels beneath the mansion.
"Victor, hold the hallway for three minutes, then fall back to the safe room," Luca ordered his head of security.
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"Got it, Boss. Go!" Victor replied, turning back toward the corridor as heavy footsteps bounced off the marble floors.
Luca grabbed a flashlight from the wall hook, grabbed Grace’s hand, and pulled her into the dark passage. Titan bounded in right behind them, his heavy paws echoing softly against the concrete steps as the secret door clicked shut, plunging them into the cold, hidden depths beneath the Moretti home.
