Maya spent three weeks in the Scottish castle establishing routines—morning security briefings, afternoon remote interviews via encrypted video, evening evidence analysis with Chen and her parents coordinating from their respective locations. The isolation was oppressive but functional, creating space for investigation without immediate threat of assassination.
Then the power died at 3:47 AM on a Tuesday, plunging the castle into darkness that emergency generators should have prevented but did not activate.
"This is not system failure," facility commander announced over radio, his voice tight with professional alarm. "This is deliberate infrastructure attack. All personnel to defensive positions. Lock down the witness immediately."
Maya's security detail burst into her room with night v
