Page 292 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

A fractional nod. ‘Heard.’

✴

At nine PM, Lachlan puts Mimi to bed.

At nine-fifteen, he begins a complete physical inspection of the Estate.

New Year’s, like Christmas Day, is a high-risk window for attacks. His teams repelled the last assault on the Estate with brutal efficiency.

Even so, he prefers overcaution as standard.

Lachlan runs a full validation himself, polling every perimeter contact and window alignment, checking the access-control audit for forced or held-open doors. He walks the thermal coverage for dead ground before testing the roofline sensors, emergency power and alarm-line supervision.

At nine-thirty, he makes the executive decision to not allow Jules out as he once would have. He’s been wrestling with it all day.

The part of him that wants to let the boy he loves do whatever the fuck he likes is strictly overruled by the soldier in him, who sees no acceptable margin for risk.

He goes about locking down the Cove quietly and absolutely.

Lachlan posts two people beneath Julian’s window and one directly outside his bedroom door, a man named Holtz. From Control, he instructs Rook to pin both exterior cameras to dedicated monitors under continuous observation. No cycling, no cutaways.

Rook glances up at him and quietly says, ‘He’ll hate that.’

Lachlan shrugs. ‘Hate is for the living.’

✴

Blaire is waiting for him in Carrigan’s office, which is really his office now. He removed her personal effects, packed them up himself.

‘Is this business?’ he asks without preamble.

‘I’m hardly here to declare my undying love for you.’ She slides the command terminal towards him and taps the fresh mug of coffee with her fingernail. ‘It’s always work.’

‘Good. I can’t handle anything else right now.’

‘I know.’

He takes a seat opposite her, scanning the screen.

His heart plummets.

‘What the fuck is this?’

‘I thought you’d want to see it in person.’

FORMAL NOTICE OF RESIGNATION

Submitted by: Danya Yashin

Current Appointment: Close Protection Officer, Penhalyx Estate

Notice Period: Fourteen calendar days

Final Operational Shift: 0600 hours, 15 January

Please accept this document as formal notice of my resignation from the Penhalyx Estate security detail, effective upon completion of the notice period stated above.

‘Motherfucker,’ he whispers, unable to tear his eyes away.