The screen shook as Tessa’s first strike hit the brick wall just inches from the camera casing.
Think, Elias. Think. The panic tried to swallow me, but the soldier took over. If I lost the visual, Lily was entirely at their mercy, and God only knew what their ultimate plan was.
I hit the speed dial for Garrett Stone, my former special operations chief and the current head of my private cybersecurity firm. He picked up on the first ring.
“Boss. You’re supposed to be over the Atlantic,” Garrett’s gruff voice filled the earpiece.
“Garrett, I need a breach. Now,” I barked, my voice eerily calm, the kind of calm that precedes absolute devastation. “My house in Fairfield. Claire and her family are attacking Lily. They’re trying to destroy the exterior cameras. I need you to lock down the smart home mainframe. Every door, every window. Turn it into a vault. I don’t want them taking her anywhere.”
I heard the frantic clacking of a mechanical keyboard on his end. “I’m in the backdoor node you set up last year. Give me ten seconds.”
On my screen, Tessa reared back for a second swing at the camera. Claire was grabbing Lily by the arm, trying to drag her toward the open front door to get her out of sight. Lily was thrashing, crying out as the chemical solvent inflamed her skin.
“They’re moving her inside,” I said, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Garrett, do it now.”
“Exec command sent,” Garrett replied. “House is locked. I’m giving you localized control of the internal PA system. Make them sweat, Boss.”
Through the camera, I watched Claire yank Lily across the threshold. Marlene and the sisters scrambled inside right behind them.
Then, a massive, heavy THUD echoed through the audio feed.
