Chapter 3 - Decoding the Archive
While Ronan spent the late-night hours interrogating the captives in the estate's subterranean cells and mobilizing his capos, I slipped out of our bed at 3:00 a.m. and navigated the dark corridors to Cormac Gallagher’s private study. The late patriarch had been a paranoid, brilliant man who trusted no one, which was precisely why he and I had shared a silent, unspoken understanding before his passing. Using a hidden keyhole concealed behind an antique globe, I accessed the encrypted local server fed directly by the kitchen's vintage pantry camera. The video played back in pristine high definition. I slowed down the footage, zooming in on the leader’s wrist, where a faint, specific tattoo was visible beneath his glove: the mark of the Blackthorn Syndicate, an old rival organization thought to have been wiped out during my final federal operation eight years ago. But more importantly, the audio captured the leader’s cell phone ringing right before they breached the garden door. The ringtone was a unique, customized chime that I had heard earlier that very afternoon—coming from the pocket of Julian Gallagher, Ronan’s ambitious cousin and the chief contender for the family inheritance. Julian hadn't just supplied the estate plans; he was actively collaborating with my old government handlers' enemies to destroy Ronan's claim and expose my true identity to the high council.
