Chapter 4 - The Half-Truth
""Don't move,"" Victor barked, his finger tightening on the trigger. ""Hands where I can see them, laundress.""
Argo instantly reacted. The dog placed his massive, battered body squarely in front of Elise, his hackles raised like razor wire, a terrifying, guttural roar tearing from his throat that rattled the stable walls. The pain in his hip was completely forgotten in the face of imminent violence.
""Hold your fire, Victor,"" Dante commanded smoothly, stepping into the pen without showing a single shred of fear. He raised a hand toward the dog. ""Down, Argo.""
The dog did not back down, his teeth bared in a wicked snarl, shielding Elise with every ounce of his remaining strength.
Dante looked from the snarling war dog to Elise, who slowly rose to her feet, hiding the scanner in her palm before slipping it into her deep apron pocket.
""Fascinating,"" Dante murmured, his dark eyes glittering with genuine intrigue. ""He has tried to tear out the throat of every man who stepped into this stall for six months. Yet here he stands, playing guardian angel to a woman who is supposed to be washing my bedsheets."" Dante took a step closer, stopping just inches out of Argo's striking range. ""What did you just press against his neck, Elise?""
Elise knew that a single misstep right now would end with her body dumped in the river and Ivy left an orphan. She had to play the game of survival. She couldn't tell him everything—not yet.
""An RFID microchip reader,"" she said, her voice remarkably steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.
Victor sneered. ""She’s a corporate spy. I told you, Dante. Let me put a bullet in her and dump her outside the city limits.""
""Shut up, Victor,"" Dante snapped without looking away from Elise. ""Go on, Mrs. Novak. Explain why a laundress carries high-grade tactical scanning equipment.""
""Because I lied about who I was,"" Elise said, giving him the first layer of the truth. ""I was never just a farm girl. Before my husband died, I was a certified veterinary trauma surgeon for military service animals. When I heard the rumors about this dog, I wanted to see if he was what I thought he was.""
Dante leaned against the wooden railing, crossing his arms. ""And what did you find?""
Elise looked him straight in the eye. ""I found half of what I was looking for. He is Unit 7. A specialized reconnaissance asset deployed by Aegis-Vanguard four years ago. His microchip is military-encrypted. Whoever gave him to you didn't give you a pet, Mr. Castellani. They gave you an unregistered black-ops tracker.""
Victor’s face tightened. Dante remained perfectly composed, but his jaw clenched slightly.
""Who gave you this dog, Dante?"" Elise pressed, daring to use his first name. ""Because whoever dumped this wounded animal on your estate is the same entity that manufactures illegal tactical tracking systems. Did you know what he was?""
""I knew he was a survivor,"" Dante said softly, his voice dropping into a register of cold, suppressed rage. ""He belonged to my younger brother, Marco. Marco was killed eighteen months ago in an ambush in Eastern Europe. When his body was flown home, this dog was found guarding his casket. No paperwork. No explanations. Just a wounded animal nobody could touch.""
Elise stared at him in disbelief. Dante Castellani wasn't the architect of the conspiracy. He was another grieving family member hunting for the truth.
""Your brother was working for Aegis-Vanguard,"" Elise whispered.
""No,"" Dante replied, his eyes burning into hers. ""Marco was investigating them. Just like your husband was, Dr. Novak.""
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Elise froze. The blood drained from her face.
Dante stepped forward and extended his hand toward Argo, letting the dog sniff his knuckles until the snarl faded into a cautious silence. ""Did you really think you could enter my home under a fake identity without me checking your background? I've been waiting for you to make your move for three weeks, Elise. Now that the masks are off... we need to talk.""
