?
The Estate isenormous.
A brief glance at the blueprints inThe Booktells him much of what he needs to know.He was shown to his quarters, or suite as Clara called it, by a member of the security team, a man named Adrian Rook.
‘How many in your team?’Lachlan asks him after they shake hands and he correctsMr Tannerto Lachlan.
‘Four.’
‘Four teams?’
‘Four total, sir.’
‘How many overall?’
‘Four, sir.’
‘For the whole of the East Wing?’
‘No, sir.The whole Estate.’
‘One unit per wing?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘The former head of security, how many did he hire?’
‘Myself and one other.’
Lachlan feels certain he’s missing something.‘So to be clear,’ he says after a cursory glance inside his suite, ‘Four people for this whole place?’
‘Correct, sir.’
‘Fuck me.’
Rook snorts, tries to bury it.‘Sorry, sir.’
‘All right.Tell me about Control.’
‘Sir?’
‘The Control Room.Eyes in the sky.’
‘Surveillance is monitored by a technician.’
‘Just one?’Rook nods.Lachlan sighs.‘There’s gonna be a lot of changes.’
‘Understood, sir.’
‘Drop the“Sir”, and we use “heard” going forward.’
Rook smiles.‘Heard.’
Lachlan meets with all the staff, regardless of area or occupation.He’s correctedMr TannertoLachlanabout three dozen times now.
He does two full circuits.
Once around the entire Estate and then one of the grounds which are insanely extensive.Helicopter landing pad, a lake, an artificial waterfall.Groundskeepers, greenhouses full of imported plants, private orchards, sculptures and a family mausoleum, the name PENHALYX carved in stone above the door.He scopes out a private underground driveable tunnel leading to a secondary exit miles away, which is good although sorely unmanned.The place is everything he expected and more in terms of luxury and grandeur, except for the total lack of any chlorinated swimming pools.
