Chapter 11 - Inside the FortressThe next morning, I didn't return to my waitress uniform. Instead, I stood inside the high-security subterranean command center beneath Marcus Blackwood’s sprawling estate on the outskirts of Chicago.
Multiple computer monitors cast a cool blue glow across the sleek, dark walls. Surveillance feeds displayed every corner of the property, alongside encrypted satellite tracking maps of government facilities in Washington and local federal offices downtown.
Victor, the scarred lieutenant who had glared at Lily the night before, stood near the main console, dropping a heavy metal briefcase onto the steel desk. He looked at me with newfound respect—or perhaps just cautious intrigue.
"Your old suitcase files have been integrated into our mainframe," Victor said gruffly, clicking open the latches. "Every encrypted drive, every corrupt official's bank routing number, every dossier on the Department of Justice internal affairs leak."
"Good," I said, sliding into the ergonomic leather chair and resting my fingers on the mechanical keyboard. My old investigative instincts flooded back into my veins, sharp and focused. "Where do we start?"
Before Victor could answer, the heavy security door at the end of the corridor slid open with a soft hiss.
Footsteps padded lightly across the polished concrete floor.
I looked up.
Lily stood in the doorway. She was wearing a soft oversized sweater that swallowed her small frame, clutching a stuffed rabbit in one arm. Her wide, dark eyes scanned the high-tech command center until they landed on me.
A tentative, beautiful smile bloomed across her face.
She walked quickly across the room, ignoring the armed guards and the glowing monitors, and came straight to my side. Without a word, she raised her small hands and signed rapidly:
Are you staying?
I turned my chair around, knelt down to her eye level, and smiled. Using my hands with practiced precision, I signed back:
May you like
Yes, Lily. I'm staying.
Forever.
