Page 86 of Black Reign

And I build a way out before I build a way in.

The night before the wedding, I approach the estate from the sea.

Not the main perimeter.

I don't need to.

There is a small cove beneath the cliffs, half hidden by rock and accessible only when the water cooperates. I arrive offshore in a battered little tender that looks forgettable beside the yachts farther down the coast.

My dive gear goes with me.

Wetsuit.

Mask.

Tank.

Fins.

A dry bag with clothing, a second wig, makeup, contacts, and everything I might need if the exit becomes complicated.

I stash the gear where saltwater and stone will keep it out of casual sight.

No electronics worth finding.

No name.

No Vesper.

My escape route waits below.

Tomorrow I enter through the front.

If something goes wrong, I leave through the Pacific.

Simple.

Almost.

Nothing involving Ghost has been simple for years.

Wedding morning begins before sunrise.

Jenny Hernández arrives with a temporary catering crew wearing black trousers, flat shoes, a white shirt, and the universal expression of someone being paid too little to carry something heavy.

No one questions me.

Why would they?

I am carrying glassware.

Rich people rarely suspect the woman holding the tray.

The estate is already alive.

Flowers everywhere.

White roses.