Chapter 9 - The Unlocked Door
Gunther froze. The dark, analytical machinery inside his head shifted gears instantly, every muscle in his body tensing as the implications of Kayla’s words slammed into him.
“Unlocked?” Gunther repeated, his voice dangerously low. “Are you certain?”
“I’m positive,” Kayla said, her voice shaking slightly as she looked up into his darkening eyes. “When Mrs. Gable told me to deep-clean the east wing, I walked straight up the service stairs. I pushed the master suite door with my elbow because my hands were full of cleaning supplies. It swung right open. I thought... I thought you had just left it open before flying to Chicago.”
Gunther’s mind raced through the timeline. He had flown out of the private airfield two nights ago. He always, without exception, engaged the heavy pneumatic deadbolt from the inside before leaving his quarters. No one on his staff had the biometric clearance to bypass it.
Which meant someone had either cloned his print, forced the manual override from the security terminal downstairs, or left it open intentionally.
“Victor!” Gunther bellowed, his voice echoing down the hallway with terrifying force.
Within seconds, the heavy door flew open, and Victor rushed back inside, his hand resting on his weapon. “What? Did someone else break through the terrace?”
“Check the master suite security logs for the last forty-eight hours,” Gunther commanded, his eyes blazing with cold fury. “Specifically, look for the biometric override log on the primary bedroom door.”
Victor pulled out his encrypted tablet, his fingers flying across the glass screen in rapid succession. He muttered curses under his breath as lines of code and timestamped access records scrolled past.
“Here it is,” Victor said, his face turning pale. “The manual override was triggered at two o'clock in the morning, two days ago. Right before you boarded the private jet for Chicago.”
“Who initiated it?” Gunther demanded, stepping forward.
Victor stared at the screen, his breath catching in his throat. “It wasn't a remote hack. It was initiated from the main security console in the basement panic room. Using the master administrator keycard.”
“There are only two master keys in existence,” Gunther said quietly, the realization dropping like an anvil into the room. “Mine, which is in my breast pocket, and—”
“Mrs. Gable’s,” Victor finished, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper.
Kayla gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Mrs. Gable? But she’s been with the estate for fifteen years!”
“Loyalty in our line of work isn't bought with time; it’s bought with leverage,” Gunther said, his jaw locked so tight a muscle twitched in his cheek. “If someone got to her family, or if her debts caught up with her, she’d sell the house out from under us.”
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“She’s not in her quarters,” Victor added, tapping furiously on his tablet. “Her personal terminal is wiped clean, and her vehicle left the east gate fifteen minutes ago while we were distracted by Jacqueline on the terrace.”
Gunther didn't hesitate. He pulled his SIG Sauer from his holster, flicked off the safety with a sharp click, and looked at Victor. “Track her phone. Find out who she’s been talking to for the last month. We’re going hunting.”
