Chapter 5
The air in the mountains was razor-thin and bitterly cold, biting at Kiernan’s exposed skin as he moved silently through the snow-laden pines. The Iron Garden loomed ahead, a brutalist concrete monstrosity swallowed by shadows. High-powered halogen lights swept the perimeter fence, casting long, skeletal shadows across the snow.
"I have eyes on the perimeter," Vance’s voice crackled softly in Kiernan’s earpiece. "Two tangos walking the western fenceline. Armed with suppressed rifles. You have a thirty-second window before they hit the blind spot by the generator."
"Copy," Kiernan whispered. He crouched low, his boots making almost zero sound on the frozen earth. He waited until the sweeping spotlight passed overhead, then sprinted across the clearing.
He pressed his back against the icy concrete of the generator housing. He could hear the crunch of boots approaching in the snow. Two men, speaking in low murmurs.
"Crazy bitch wants us to prep the transport by dawn," the first guard complained. "Said the husband found out."
"Let him come," the second chuckled. "Easy payday. I want to see this billionaire try to play hero."
Kiernan didn't wait for them to turn the corner. He lunged out from the shadows, grabbing the first guard by the tactical vest and slamming him headfirst into the steel generator. The man crumpled instantly. The second guard tried to raise his rifle, but Kiernan was already inside his guard, sweeping his leg and driving a vicious elbow into his jaw. The guard hit the ground hard, dazed.
Kiernan pinned the man down, pressing the muzzle of his pistol directly against his temple. "Make a sound and it's your last," Kiernan growled.
The guard’s eyes went wide with panic, swallowing hard. "Okay, okay, man. Chill."
"I'm going to ask you once," Kiernan whispered, his eyes like dead iron. "Where is the woman? The prisoner."
"S-Sub-basement Level Two. Sector four," the guard stammered, trembling. "But you can't get down there. The freight elevator is locked out, biometrics only. You need the warden's handprint."
"Where is the warden?"
"He's... he's in the main control room on the ground floor. Watching the cameras."
Kiernan didn't hesitate. He struck the man with the butt of his pistol, knocking him unconscious. He quickly stripped the guard of his keycard and radio, then dragged both bodies behind the generator.
"Clean takedown," Vance noted over the comms. "But they'll notice a missed check-in in about ten minutes. You need to move fast. East door is twenty yards to your left."
"I'm heading for the control room," Kiernan replied, swiping the stolen keycard at the heavy steel door. A green light flashed, and the lock clicked open.
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He slipped inside the facility. The air inside smelled of antiseptic and old dust. The hallways were painted a sickly pale green, illuminated by flickering fluorescent tubes. He moved like a ghost, his gun raised, clearing every corner with military precision.
He was getting closer to Sarah. Every step fueled the burning rage in his chest. Rhea thought she could play God with his family. Tonight, Kiernan was going to show her what the devil looked like.
