Chapter 51 - The Decoy
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The morning of October 14th—Clara's first birthday—dawned cold and overcast. There were no balloons, no cake, no singing. There was only the grim, silent preparation for a war.
I sat in the nursery of the chateau, holding Clara tightly against my chest. She was cooing softly, playing with a small silver locket around my neck. I buried my face in her soft hair, breathing in her scent, fighting the tears burning in my eyes.
"I love you, my sweet girl," I whispered, my voice cracking. "Everything mommy is doing tonight, I am doing for you. To make sure you never have to look over your shoulder."
The door opened, and Ben walked in, dressed in a sharp, tailored black tuxedo. He looked handsome, dangerous, and entirely resolute.
"It's time, Lydia," Ben said softly.
I placed Clara gently into her crib. Elias stood in the doorway, his assault rifle slung across his chest.
"You have my word, Mrs. Sterling," Elias vowed, his voice deep and absolute. "If anyone breaches this chateau, they will have to kill every single one of my men before they even see this room. She is safe here."
"Thank you, Elias," I said, wiping a single tear from my cheek.
I walked into the adjoining room and put on my armor. I wore a stunning, floor-length midnight blue gown. The fabric was specially woven to obscure thermal imaging, and the bodice concealed a layer of ultra-thin, stab-resistant Kevlar. Strapped to my thigh, completely invisible beneath the silk, was a ceramic, non-metallic combat knife that would pass through standard metal detectors.
Ben handed me a sleek, black clutch purse. "The EMP charges are built into the battery lining of the bag. The detonator is the clasp. You twist it twice, it fries every electronic device in a fifty-foot radius."
"And the C4?" I asked, looking at Ben’s tailored suit.
May you like
"Woven into the lining of my jacket," Ben replied grimly. "We are walking bombs."
We walked out to the waiting armored town car. The sky over Paris was darkening, the rain beginning to fall heavily. The grand clock was ticking toward midnight. It was time to meet the Seven Spheres.
