Chapter 5 - The Safehouse Perimeter
The safehouse was an old stone mill converted into a secure residence, tucked away in a heavily wooded ravine thirty miles north of the city limits.
The rain had turned into a steady, gray drizzle by the time the unmarked van rolled through the rusted iron gates and pulled into the dark-stone carriage house. Mason killed the engine instantly, cutting the headlights before the van even came to a complete stop.
"Sweep the perimeter," Gabriel ordered in a low whisper, stepping out into the damp evening air and immediately opening my door.
I climbed out, my legs feeling like lead, still holding Eli safely against my chest. The boy had finally woken up, letting out a soft, confused chirp before burying his face back into my shirt. The mill was silent except for the sound of a swollen creek rushing past the stone foundations.
Inside, the safehouse smelled of old timber, cedar fires, and dust. Gabriel led us straight to a small, windowless back room fitted with reinforced steel shutters and an independent air-filtration system. A narrow iron cot stood against the back wall, covered in clean dark blankets.
"Lie down, Claire," Gabriel said, pointing to the cot with absolute authority. "That's not a request."
I sank down onto the mattress, the exhaustion finally overriding my adrenaline. My ribs felt like they were held together by fragile glass, and every breath required intense concentration. Gabriel knelt beside the cot, gently helping me adjust Eli so the baby could nurse without straining my arms.
Mason appeared in the doorway, his face grim. "Boss. I checked the comms terminal in the basement. Someone left an active analog tracker wired into the master circuit breaker. They didn't just trace us—they've been tracking this property for months."
Gabriel stood up slowly, the air around him turning ice-cold. "A planted beacon. Which means the leak isn't just in the legal department." He turned his gaze toward me, his eyes dark with a dangerous realization. "It's inside my own security detail."
"Which means," I added, closing my eyes against a fresh wave of pain, "we can't trust anyone who handled our logistics before the initial ambush."
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"Except Mason," Gabriel said firmly, glancing at the guard. "And you."
"And the boy," I whispered, pressing my cheek against Eli's soft hair as the safehouse door locked shut behind us.
