Chapter 14: The Calculated Welcome
The hydraulic gate cylinders groaned softly as Rowan depressed the primary release toggle, the heavy steel leaves parting against the encrusted ice to open a gap barely wide enough for a single person. He grabbed a wide canvas umbrella from the rack beside the inner vestibule, slipped into an unzipped down jacket, and stepped through the reinforced threshold into the sleet.
The freezing pellets clattered against the taut fabric over his head, a harsh, drumming rhythm that drowned out the distant rumble of the coastal surf. Rowan walked down the center of the asphalt driveway with an urgent, hurried stride, letting his shoulders hitch slightly to sell the performance of a frantic friend rushing into the cold.
"Piper!" he called out, his voice pitched hi
