Chapter 7 - The Servant's Path
The night sky was pouring freezing rain by the time they reached the estate.
They approached from the lakefront, staying low in the heavy brush.
Camilo could see armed guards patrolling the illuminated terraces.
Joanna led them to a rusted iron grate hidden behind overgrown ivy near the foundation.
She explained that she used to sneak out this way when she worked double shifts.
Camilo pulled the grate open, marveling at how invisible she had been to him.
They slipped into the damp, dark wine cellar.
Camilo handed Gabriel a spare pistol from his ankle holster.
Joanna navigated the pitch-black corridors strictly by memory.
She guided them past the kitchen and up the hidden staff staircase.
They emerged silently on the second floor, just down the hall from the library.
Two guards were standing outside the heavy oak doors.
Camilo and Gabriel synchronized their movements perfectly.
They stepped out of the shadows and neutralized both guards silently with chokeholds.
Camilo dragged the unconscious bodies into a nearby linen closet.
They pushed the library doors open and slipped inside.
The room was dark, smelling of leather and old paper.
Joanna immediately walked to the center of the room and rolled back the Persian rug.
She knelt down and entered a six-digit code into the brass floor safe.
The heavy lock clicked open with a satisfying thud.
Camilo reached inside and pulled out a thick, black leather ledger.
He flipped through the pages, seeing the names of every corrupt judge and stolen asset.
This was the leverage they needed to end the nightmare.
Suddenly, the library lights blazed on, blinding them.
May you like
Silas was sitting in the corner armchair, holding a suppressed pistol pointed directly at Joanna's head.
He smiled and welcomed them back to his house.
