The coordinates led to a private estate in Malibu, perched on cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The mansion was massive but understated, designed to blend with the natural landscape rather than dominate it. Security was invisible but omnipresent. Ethan counted at least a dozen cameras and motion sensors just on the approach road.
Vincent had insisted on accompanying him, despite Ethan's protests. "The Council knew your father for forty years," Vincent had argued. "They know me. Having a familiar face might help smooth the introduction."
They arrived at 1:53 PM, seven minutes early. A woman in her sixties met them at the entrance, dressed in an elegant pantsuit that somehow suggested both wealth and deadly competence.
"Lord Blackwood. Mr. Harlow. Welcome. The Council is assembled in
