Page 73 of The Thief
Henry nods slowly. "Call Denis. Tell him we need to meet. Quietly."
Denis arrives within the hour, along with Malcolm and Danny. We gather in Henry's study, door locked, phones turned off. We can't afford to have Marcus overhear what we're planning.
"Trace is coming tonight," I start without preamble. "During the family dinner. His objective is to kill as many of us as possible, send a message that no one's untouchable."
"How do you know this?" Malcolm asks.
"Because we have someone inside his operation. Someone who's been feeding us information."
"And you trust this source?"
"I don't trust many. But I believe he's telling the truth, as does Stephen."
Denis leans forward. "What's the plan?"
"We let him come. Make him think he's catching us off guard while we prepare a surprise of our own."
"That's insane," Danny says. "This house isn't a fortress. Too many ways in, too many blind spots."
"Which is exactly why Trace picked it. He thinks he knows your security; thinks he can waltz in here and slaughter us like sheep."
"Can't he?"
"Not if we're ready for him. Not if we turn this house into a killing ground."
We spend the next two hours planning. Positions, fields of fire, escape routes. How to funnel Trace's men into predetermined kill zones while keeping ourselves alive. It's complicated, dangerous, but it could work.
More importantly, it's our best chance to end this war permanently.
"What about the mole?" Denis asks.
"We deal with him after. Right now, we need him to think everything's normal."
"And if he gets suspicious?"
"Then we adjust. But for now, we let him think his plan is working."
Henry's been quiet through most of the discussion, but now he speaks up. "I want him alive. Marcus. Whatever else he's done, I want the chance to ask him why."
"Might not be possible. If shooting starts?—"
"Make it possible. I need to understand how forty years of loyalty turned into betrayal."
I can't blame him for wanting answers. Hell, I want them too. But in a firefight, priorities change fast. Keeping good people alive matters more than satisfying curiosity.
"We'll try," I say. "But no guarantees."
"Understood."
We finalize the details, assign positions, and synchronize watches. By the time we're done, it's lunchtime and everyone is geared up for what’s about to come.
"Alastríona leaves soon," I say. "I'll take her to Stephen's personally, make sure she's safe."
"Good. The less she knows about tonight, the better." Henry says with a sigh.
"She won't like being kept in the dark."
"She'll like being dead even less."
