Chapter 6: Perimeter Breach
I didn't sleep a wink after leaving Caden in his metallic lair. My mind was reeling. Armory. Sniper rifles. A war I wasn't prepared for. It wasn't an architectural firm; it was a front. And I was smack dab in the middle of whatever covert operation Caden was running.
I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to fit the pieces together. The cold, efficient way he moved. The way he always seemed to know where I was. His complete lack of social skills, which now made perfect sense if he lived in a world of targets and threats.
And then there was that look. That flicker of something human when he'd almost touched me. The "glitch." It was a dangerous thought to entertain, but I couldn't shake it.
My internal alarm clock, finely tuned by years of juggling three jobs, woke me at 6:00 AM. Maisie was still asleep, "Pinky" clutched tight. I dressed quickly, pulling on the same black dress from yesterday. This time, I knew exactly what kind of battle I was walking into.
I went downstairs, expecting to find Caden already in his office. But the monitors were dark. The kitchen was empty. A strange, prickling silence filled the house—a silence that felt heavy, not peaceful.
My heart began to thud.
I walked to the office, my bare feet making no sound on the concrete. The steel door to the basement was still locked. I tried the office door. It was unlocked.
Inside, the monitors were still dark. But a single red light was blinking on a panel on Caden's main desk. It pulsed with an urgent, almost silent rhythm.
Perimeter Breach. South-East Sector.
My breath caught in my throat. I didn't know what it meant, but the words screamed "danger." I backed away slowly, my eyes scanning the room for anything, any sign of Caden.
That's when I heard it. A soft thump from outside. Then another. Footsteps. Too heavy for a squirrel. Too deliberate for a stray animal.
"Amara. Get Maisie. Basement. Now."
Caden's voice was in my ear, cold and clear, even though he was nowhere in sight. The silver phone I had on the counter was vibrating, a silent command.
I didn't hesitate. I sprinted upstairs, my blood thrumming with adrenaline. Maisie was still asleep, oblivious. I scooped her up, "Pinky" and all, holding her tight against my chest.
"Wake up, baby. We're going on an adventure." My voice was surprisingly steady, even as my hands trembled.
I ran back downstairs, the red light still blinking on the panel. The footsteps outside were getting closer. I could hear a faint clink of metal against metal.
I reached the basement door. "Caden, open the door!" I whispered into the phone.
The door hissed open instantly. I scrambled down the blue-lit stairs, Maisie a warm, sleepy weight in my arms. As soon as I was inside, the door slid shut, sealing us in the cold, metallic armory.
"Stay still. Stay quiet. Do not move from that corner," Caden's voice instructed. He was still not here.
"Where are you?" I demanded, my eyes darting around the room, trying to make sense of the rows of weapons. "What's happening?"
"The Silversmiths," he said, his voice closer now, somehow. "They found us. My perimeter was compromised. I'm handling it. Stay hidden."
My heart hammered against my ribs. The Silversmiths. The men who tried to burn me alive. They were here. In Caden's house.
Suddenly, a loud CRASH echoed from upstairs. It sounded like glass shattering. Maisie whimpered in my arms, finally stirring.
"Mommy?"
"It's okay, baby," I whispered, pulling her closer, burying her face in my shoulder. "Just a big storm."
The sounds of a struggle began. Heavy thumps. Grunts. A low, guttural growl that could only be Caden. I wanted to run out there. I wanted to help him, to scream, to do anything but sit there, useless, hiding in his secret basement.
But the "robot" had given me an order. Stay hidden.
After what felt like an eternity, the sounds above us slowly faded. The silence returned, but it was a strained, taut silence. I clutched Maisie, my knuckles white.
"Caden?" I whispered into the phone.
No answer.
My breath hitched. Had they gotten him? Was this it? Was Maisie and I trapped in this high-tech tomb with only an arsenal for company?
Then, the steel door to the armory hissed open.
Caden stood there, framed in the blue light. His white shirt was torn at the shoulder, a thin line of blood trickling down his bicep. His jaw was set, and his eyes, those jet-black, unreadable eyes, swept over me and Maisie.
"Clear," he said, his voice rough. He looked exhausted, but alive. "Perimeter re-secured. They breached the secondary defenses."
I wanted to run to him. I wanted to touch his arm, to ask if he was okay. But he just looked at me, then at Maisie, and the mask was back. The cold, impenetrable robot.
"We need to move. Now," he commanded. "Pack only essentials. Two changes of clothes. No sentimental items. Five minutes."
"Move? Where are we going?"
"Somewhere they won't find us," he said, turning to walk back upstairs. He paused, his gaze meeting mine for a fraction of a second. "This wasn't part of the protocol, Amara. But you're coming with me. All of you."