SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan) novel Chapter 169

Chapter 169

Rain pelted the black waters of Cedar Lake as Alexander and Stefan crouched in the underbrush. The angry sky rumbled above them, lightning flashing in the distance. Through night-vision goggles, Alexander scanned the cabin that held Camille.

What had once been a rustic family retreat now resembled a fortress. Motion sensors dotted the tree line. Cameras swept the property in careful arcs. Two men with rifles patrolled the perimeter, their movements precise and military.

"She's turned it into a damn compound," Alexander whispered, his jaw tight with tension.

Stefan wiped rain from his face. "Rose never does anything halfway."

They'd left the boats hidden behind the split pine tree Margaret had called the "twin tree," the water team of six men now spread through the woods. The road team waited on the other side of the property, ready for Alexander's signal.

"Talk me through it again," Alexander said, his voice barely audible over the rain. "Every entrance. Every weak point."

Stefan closed his eyes, picturing the cabin he'd never visited but had heard described so many times.

"Front door faces the road. Back door opens to the lake. There's a cellar entrance on the east side, hidden under a fake rock garden." His hands shook as he pointed. "Kitchen window has a broken lock, or it did when the Lewis family owned it. Margaret always complained about it letting in cold air."

Alexander relayed the information through his earpiece to the teams. The rain grew heavier, a blessing that muffled their approach and blinded the cameras.

A guard passed just fifteen feet from their position. Alexander tensed, hand moving to his weapon, but the man continued his patrol, unaware of their presence.

"Six minutes until the road team creates their distraction," Alexander murmured. "Then we move."

Stefan nodded, clutching the small fishing lure Margaret had given him. The wood felt rough against his palm, a connection to a time when Camille had been happy, before he and Rose had destroyed everything.

Thunder crashed overhead as lightning lit the sky. In the brief flash, Stefan saw Alexander's face, not the controlled businessman he knew, but something primal and dangerous.

"If anything happens to her..." Alexander's words trailed off.

"It won't," Stefan said, trying to believe it himself.

Alexander checked his watch. "Two minutes. Jason, position report."

"East side secure," came the whispered reply through their earpieces. "We've identified three motion sensors and a trip wire. All disabled."

"West team?"

"In position. Guard approaching. Hold."

Tense seconds ticked by. Rain drummed against the leaves sheltering them.

"Guard passed. West side ready."

Alexander turned to Stefan. "You stay behind me at all times. If I say run, you run. If I say hide, you hide. No heroics."

Stefan wanted to argue, but the steel in Alexander's eyes stopped him. This was a side of Alexander Pierce that few ever saw—the man beneath the tailored suits and boardroom smiles.

"Thirty seconds," Alexander said.

Stefan tucked the lure safely in his pocket and checked his own equipment one last time. Unlike the others, he carried no weapon. Alexander had been clear about that.

"Camille is being held in what appears to be a basement or lower level," Jason reported. "Thermal imaging shows one guard at the exterior cellar entrance."

"That's our way in," Alexander said. "Road team, begin distraction on my mark."

The seconds stretched like hours. Stefan's heart hammered in his chest, a mixture of fear and determination driving his pulse skyward.

"Mark."

In the distance, an explosion rocked the night. A moment later, a plume of fire rose above the treeline near the main road. The guards outside snapped to attention, their movements suddenly urgent.

"Now." Alexander signaled, and they were moving through the rain.

They kept low to the ground, following a path Stefan had described from Camille's stories, a narrow deer trail that led to the old stone garden. The fire burned bright in the distance, drawing the attention of the guards.

"East side, report," Alexander whispered.

"Both guards moving toward the road. Main house entrance clear."

They reached the stone garden, now overgrown but still recognizable. Stefan pointed to a large flat rock tucked against the foundation.

"There."

Alexander nodded to his security team. Two men stepped forward, shifting the heavy stone to reveal a set of concrete steps descending into darkness.

"Single guard at the bottom of the stairs," reported Jason, checking a handheld thermal device. "Sitting position. Likely armed."

Alexander drew his weapon. "I'll take point. Stefan, you stay here until..."

A crackle of static cut through their earpieces.

"Road team under fire! Multiple armed tangos emerging from the woods!"

Alexander's face hardened. "Rose has backup." He turned to Jason. "We need to move. Now."

Everything accelerated. Alexander disappeared down the steps, followed by two of his men. Seconds later, a muffled thud echoed from below.

"Clear," came Alexander's voice. "Stefan, get down here."

Stefan scrambled down the steps into a dimly lit storage area. A guard lay unconscious on the floor, efficiently restrained.

Alexander pointed to a metal door across the room. "Thermal shows two heat signatures behind that door. One seated, one moving."

The sound of gunfire echoed in the distance.

"Road team falling back to secondary position," reported the team leader. "We've got at least six armed men in pursuit."

Alexander cursed under his breath. "She was ready for us."