Chapter 994
The Oracle underground garage was a hive of activity the following morning. Skye was dressed in tactical hiking gear — black cargo pants, boots, a fitted thermal shirt. She looked less like a CEO and more like a tomb raider. Parker was loading equipment into the back of the SUV.
“I’ve set up the satellite uplink,” he said. “We can broadcast in 4K even from the bottom of a ravine.”
Without warning, the heavy steel shutters at the garage exit slammed down. Emergency lights strobed red. A mechanical voice filled the space: “Lockdown initiated. Security breach detected in Sector 4. All exits sealed.”
“What the hell?” Parker tapped his tablet. “I’m locked out of the building controls. Someone overrode the system with a Board-level command code.”
“Not someone,” Skye said, her eyes moving to the elevator bank. “Liam.”
R𝖾а𝖽 𝘰n 𝗮𝗻у 𝘥𝘦𝗏i𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗀𝗮𝗹ո𝘰𝘷𝗲𝘭s.𝘤𝘰𝘮
The elevator doors opened. Liam stepped out, flanked by two Kensington Global security officers, a tablet in his hand.
“I told you not to go,” Liam said.
“You locked down my building?” Skye asked, incredulous. “You used your minority shareholder status to trigger a security lockout?”
“I invoked the emergency preservation clause,” Liam said, his voice controlled, though his knuckles were white around the tablet. “Citing a credible threat to the CEO’s life. Legally, I can hold you here for twenty-four hours until the threat is assessed.”
“You are insane,” Skye said, stepping forward. “Unlock the doors.”
“No.” Liam held his ground. “Gemma’s team isn’t just mercenaries. The dossier showed schematics — explosives, Skye. Tripwires. If you set foot on that mountain, you blow up. No camera will save you from a landmine.”
“Then call the police!”
“The local sheriff in that district is on their payroll!” Liam shouted. “Don’t you understand? There is no law up there. Only them.”
Skye stared at him. He was trembling. He wasn’t lying — he was terrified for her. But his method was controlling, suffocating. It was the old Liam: certain he knew best, certain he could lock her in a tower and call it protection.
“I don’t need a keeper, Liam,” Skye said.
“You need to be alive!” Liam countered.
A low rumble moved through the garage. A sleek silver vehicle with tinted windows rolled down the entrance ramp — it had bypassed the shutters because it was already inside the perimeter when the lockdown triggered. A custom-modified van, equipped with a wheelchair lift.
The window rolled down. Julian Vance looked out. He was paler than usual, wrapped in a blanket, oxygen tubes resting beneath his nose.
“Get in,” Julian rasped.
Liam turned. “Julian, stay out of this. She’s walking into a death trap.”
“She knows,” Julian said. “And she’s not going to the Peak. Are you, Skye?”
Skye met Julian’s eyes. A silent understanding passed between them.
“No,” Skye said. “I’m not.”
She turned to Liam. “You locked the doors. You stopped me from going to the Peak. Congratulations — you saved me.”
Liam blinked, thrown by her sudden compliance. “You’re… not going?”
“No,” Skye said. She walked past him and climbed into Julian’s van. Alistair followed, casting Liam a look of pure disdain before sliding the door shut.
“Where are we going?” Alistair asked as the van reversed.
.
.