Chapter 42 – The Bullet

• The mountain road wound upward in endless hairpin turns. The air grew thinner and cooler with every mile, carrying the scent of pines and damp earth. Luciano sat behind the wheel of the armored SUV, eyes fixed on the horizon. Alina rode shotgun, her fingers tracing the condensation on the glass as they passed sheer drop-offs. In back, Nico checked radios and scoped the rugged landscape for threats.
• “This outpost should hold for a while,” Luciano said, voice low over the engine’s rumble. “We have at least forty guards, perimeter sensors, escape tunnels.”
• Alina nodded but didn’t look away from the window. “Fortress in the sky,” she murmured. “Feels good to breathe.”