Chapter 4 - The Fortress
The armored SUV sped through the dark, winding roads outside of Boston.
I stared blindly out the tinted window, my mind completely paralyzed by shock.
I was not a terrorist.
I was a woman who sold organic dog treats and squeaky toys.
Roman pulled the vehicle off the main highway and approached a massive, wrought-iron gate hidden in the woods.
The gates swung open automatically, revealing a sprawling stone mansion surrounded by armed guards.
He parked the vehicle in a subterranean garage that looked like a military bunker.
Roman opened my door and led me into a sterile, high-tech command center in the basement.
Titan followed closely at my heels, completely ignoring Roman’s own security personnel.
Roman poured a glass of amber whiskey and handed it to me without asking if I wanted it.
He told me to drink it because I was going into shock.
I swallowed the burning liquid and slammed the glass down on a steel table.
I demanded to know why the police commissioner was dead and why my face was on the news.
Roman pulled up a live surveillance feed on a massive wall monitor.
He explained that the commissioner was secretly working for the Calder crime family.
Detective Vance had discovered the connection and assassinated the commissioner to start a mob war.
Vance had used my pet store as the staging ground to plant the bomb and frame me for the entire conspiracy.
I sank into a chair, burying my face in my trembling hands.
I told Roman that Vance was a vindictive monster, but he was not smart enough to pull this off alone.
Someone with immense power and money had to be backing him.
Roman nodded grimly, agreeing with my assessment.
He called his lead hacker into the room to trace the encrypted frequency of the bomb’s detonator.
The hacker typed furiously on his keyboard, pulling up lines of complex code.
The hacker announced that the detonator was purchased using an offshore bank account.
Roman asked for the name registered to the account.
The hacker’s face went completely pale as he read the screen.
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He looked up at Roman with absolute terror in his eyes.
The account belonged to Julian Calder, Roman’s older brother.
