Page 176 of Mile High Ruin

“Sloane!”

Nothing. No answer.

I turn toward the gate. “Anton!”

He appears from behind the terrace wall, moving quickly. “What?”

“Gate.”

His eyes follow mine. “The front gate is secure.”

“Check it again.”

“It’s secure.”

“I said check it.”

Something in my voice makes him stop arguing. He speaks into his radio immediately.

I keep moving.

There’s blood on the path. Too much of it, although most belongs to Camille. My shoes leave dark marks through it as I pass. I don’t look down again.

I’ve been attacked many times. That’s the price I pay for being a Pakhan.

This is different. They came into my home.

My home.

Another burst of gunfire comes from somewhere near the western service road. I turn toward it instinctively, raising my weapon, and one of my men shouts that the shooter is down.

Anton reaches me again. “Front gate is still locked. Main access has not opened.”

“What about the service gate?”

“Checking.”

“Cameras?”

“Somebody knocked out two feeds three minutes before the first shot.”

Of course they did.

I look toward the house. “Inside job.”

Anton doesn’t answer. He doesn’t need to.

Camille. The knife.

I force myself to think beyond Sloane for three seconds, because panic is useless and I have survived too long by refusing to let fear choose the next move.

“Where is Iosef?”

“Inside. Near the study.”

I look once more toward the gate.

Nothing. No Sloane.