Page 289 of Eight of Swords, Part One

‘Like the Estate?’

‘Exactly. We have ground lights, among a dozen other clever inventions but you can’t always rely on tech, so positioning matters. The Estate sits on a high point. This place,’ he says, lighthousing around, ‘is very poorly positioned.’

‘OK, I see that,’ Jules agrees. ‘What about the house?’

Lachlan loves that he calls this glittering mansion a house, he’s so spoiled. ‘An actual house would be safer,’ he says. ‘The glass, the balconies, the open plan interior, the summer houses, the staff buildings and the lack of lockable doors mean that a ground invasion would have zero issue getting inside and finding whoever they wanted within minutes. It can’t be locked down. All safety here relies on rules. No flying above, no sailing too close. They slapped a No Entry sign on the beach and called it a day.’

‘That’s a little reductive.’

‘Is it?’

‘Savannah told me they have panic rooms.’

‘They do.’

‘So that’s something, right?’

‘Subterranean constructs are good for fallback but without tunnel access, you’re just burying yourself alive. The heat is persistent and it’s isolated. No one’s gonna drive by and check in. Kessler informed me that they only have supplies to last days, not weeks.’

‘You really should relax a little.’

‘Absolutely not.’

‘You’re so highly strung.’

‘I’m focused.’

‘OK. So now tell me what good security would look like.’

‘You already know it. The Estate is secure.’

‘Right, but that’s you doing the best with what you have. I’m talking, like, what would you build from the ground up, given the chance? What’s the polar opposite of this?’ Jules asks, gesturing at the mansion walls.

‘Not a desert island for a start.’

‘Go on.’

‘A building sat on high ground. Rough terrain and a good clearance radius.’

‘No glass?’

‘No glass.’

‘What would you use instead? Steel?’

‘Titanium and concrete.’

‘That doesn’t sound pretty.’

‘It can be pretty inside. A tower design is ideal,’ he says, ‘with a good surrounding base and a solid system of tunnels.’

‘Why a tower?’

‘So you can see what’s coming.’

‘What else?’

‘You just like hearing me talk.’