Chapter 1 - The Ticking Shadow
Dominic Russo moved toward the black SUV with slow, deliberate steps.
Vincent kept his hand firmly inside his overcoat.
He ordered Alina to take Mia back inside the main foyer immediately.
Alina scooped up her daughter and rushed behind the heavy oak doors.
Frank Caruso wiped a sudden bead of sweat from his forehead.
He insisted loudly that the child was just making up stories.
Vincent ignored him completely.
Dominic dropped to his knees on the damp driveway.
He clicked on a high-powered tactical flashlight.
The bright beam swept beneath the heavy armored chassis of the vehicle.
For a long moment, there was only the sound of the idling engine.
Then Dominic completely froze.
He slowly reached up and turned the engine off.
The sudden silence in the courtyard felt heavy and suffocating.
Dominic slid back out from under the car.
His face was completely drained of color.
He looked directly at Vincent and nodded slowly.
There was a military-grade explosive device wired directly to the ignition block.
If Vincent had opened the door and sat down, the weight sensor would have armed it.
The moment the driver shifted into gear, the entire block would have vaporized.
Vincent turned his cold, calculating gaze slowly toward Frank.
Frank was the only man responsible for securing the vehicles.
No one could have bypassed the garage sensors without his direct clearance.
Frank took a sudden, panicked step backward.
His hand darted aggressively toward his waist.
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Before he could draw his weapon, a rapid beeping sound echoed from beneath the SUV.
The bomb had just activated its proximity timer.
