Chapter 11 - Infiltration Protocol
By 4:00 AM, the rain had settled into a thick, low-lying fog that swallowed the lower spires of the city. Dressed in the black uniform of Citadel private security, Silas adjusted the tactical vest over Clara’s civilian clothes, strapping a lightweight Kevlar vest firmly against her torso.
"You don't engage anyone," Silas instructed, his hands moving with clinical detachment. "If I drop, take the flash drive hanging around my neck, head for the transit tunnels beneath the lower garage, and run until you see daylight. Do you understand?"
"I won't leave my father," Clara said, her chin lifting with sudden defiance.
Silas paused, his dark eyes studying her closely. For the first time, a faint trace of approval flashed across his scarred features. "Good. You have his stubbornness. Keep it."
He loaded a silenced sidearm, racked the slide, and handed it to her handle-first. "Do you know how to shoot?"
"No," she admitted, looking down at the heavy black steel.
"Point at the center of the chest. Pull the trigger twice. Never look away until the target stops moving."
They boarded an abandoned freight lift that connected the old subway network to the Citadel’s sub-basement. As the gears ground upward, Silas drew two carbon-fiber blades from his boots, securing them to his forearms.
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"Once the door opens," Silas whispered, "there is no going back. Moretti’s men show no mercy, and neither will I."
The lift clunked to a stop. The indicator panel flashed red.
