Chapter 56 - The Scent of Betrayal
The federal holding facility in Reno was a sterile complex of poured concrete and bulletproof glass.
Clara sat behind the reinforced partition, clad in a standard orange inmate jumpsuit. The manicured nails and pristine silk blouses she had flaunted at the villa were gone; her hair hung in lank strands, and dark circles bruised the skin beneath her eyes. When the heavy steel door clicked open and I stepped into the room in full service dress, she flinched as though struck.
"Marcus," she breathed, her voice trembling. "They... they told me Tartarus went down. They told me you were killed."
"Disappointed?" I sat across from her, resting my hands flat on the steel table. "You look surprised to see me breathing."
"I didn't know Victor was going to try to kill you!" she cried, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I swear to God, Marcus! Dad said Victor just needed the servers under the wine cellar cleared out! He said Victor had buyers in Singapore and that once the sale was complete, we’d all be set for life! Three million for me, five for Dad, and Victor would disappear forever!"
"And what about me, Clara?" I asked, leaning forward, my voice dangerously quiet. "I broke my back for this family. I took combat rotations, dove into radioactive trenches, and wired you every cent I had while you and Arthur drank Dom Pérignon in my living room and laughed about throwing my gear into the snow."
"Dad said you wouldn't care!" she sobbed, burying her face in her handcuffed hands. "He said you were married to the Navy anyway! That you didn't need the house!"
"Where is Victor?"
Clara shook her head violently. "I don't know! I swear I don't know!"
"Clara," I said, cold fury lacing every syllable. "Victor tried to bury me five thousand feet under the Pacific three hours ago. If the Navy handles this through civilian courts, you and Arthur are going to a federal supermax for treason and conspiracy to commit espionage. You will never see the sky again. Where is his command post?"
She hesitated, her breath hitching in her throat. Then, looking into my eyes and seeing zero mercy, she broke.
"The lake," she whispered. "He never left the Sierra."
May you like
I frowned. "The boathouse was cleared. Fleet Command searched the perimeter."
"Not the boathouse," Clara whispered, shivering. "Emerald Bay. There’s a floating compound anchored under a commercial salvage permit. *The Sovereign Horizon*. He’s liquidating the server hard drives right now to escape across the Canadian border."
