Chapter 57 - The Hologram
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I stood paralyzed on the edge of the storm drain, the rushing water deafening my ears, but the synthesized voice on the phone cut through the noise with terrifying clarity.
"Holograms," I whispered, the realization hitting me like a physical blow. "The masked figures at the obsidian table... they were projections."
"State-of-the-art hard-light projections, designed to interact with physical space," the Council leader confirmed smoothly. "We watched you detonate your EMP. We watched Julian Ross betray us and die like a dog. It was a highly entertaining piece of theater, Lydia. But ultimately, meaningless."
Ben grabbed my arm, his eyes wide. "Lydia, what's happening? Who is that?"
"It's the Council," I told him, my voice hollow. "They weren't in the Louvre."
"You have spirit, Lydia Sterling," the voice continued on the phone. "But you lack vision. While you were playing action hero in the catacombs of Paris, our true objective remained entirely unguarded."
My heart stopped beating. The air in my lungs turned to ice. "What did you do?"
"We told you, Clara's bloodline is the key. We told you we would take her at midnight."
"Elias and his men are guarding the chateau," I snarled, desperation clawing at my throat. "You can't touch her!"
"Elias is a very capable soldier," the Council leader replied calmly. "But every man has a price. And the Seven Spheres have unlimited funds. Check your watch, Lydia."
I looked down at the glowing dial of my watch. It was exactly 12:05 AM. Midnight had passed.
"Happy birthday to Clara," the voice whispered, before the line went dead.
"Ben!" I screamed, turning and sprinting down the concrete walkway toward the exit grate with a speed born of pure, absolute panic. "They're at the chateau! Elias betrayed us!"
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"Go! Go!" Ben yelled, running right behind me, completely unconcerned by the explosives strapped to his chest.
We burst out of the storm drain on the banks of the Seine River, the cold Paris rain washing over us. We didn't have a car. We didn't have backup. We had been completely outplayed by an enemy that lived entirely in the shadows.
