Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
I was off by several orders of magnitude.
If this man really is Mass Cardone, and I doubt he’d make that up, then he’s one of the five most powerful men in the world.
There’s a system beneath the interconnected economy. Back when ships began crossing the oceans and planes began dotting the skies, people quickly realized life was better when there were rules and regulations everyone agreed to. That’s when the original Dragons stepped into the void.
They amassed enormous sums of money in those early days and flexed their muscles with gleeful abandon. Papa told me about them when I was little like they were fairy stories. The first five Dragons were ruthless robber barons who kept world trade going through violence, extortion, bribery, and blackmail. They became so influential that all the smaller criminal operations began hailing them as kings.
Now the Dragons are different men entirely from who they used to be. The Dragon mantle has never passed from father to son. Only the strong could take it. Only the strong could hold it for long.
The man who Mass went up against and eventually prevailed over had been a Dragon for twenty years.
I remember all the talk back when the new Dragon came into power. There was a lot of fear and excitement. Everyone wanted to tell stories and share theories. Papa would say the new Dragon was a monster, a bloodthirsty beast, a mindless psychopath. He’d say the new Dragon cared only about brutality and profit, nothing more. He sneered, shook his head, and acted like he was above it.
I never took any of it seriously.
Dragons? Crime lords? International cartels of ultra-powerful murderers?
Sounded stupid.
But now that I’m married to one, it doesn’t seem so farfetched and absurd anymore.
“Excuse me, Mrs. Cardone? You might want to pay attention to this. Most people enjoy their first visit to the Fortress.”
I open my mouth to tell him that there’s no way in hell I’ll ever enjoy any part of this—
But the words fade away as the structure comes into view.
That’s the only way I can fit it into my head. The structure. If I try to think of it as a house, my mind starts to break.
It’s built on a hill. We’re low down, and it rises above us, glittering and bright in the intense light. Its walls are polished steel and glass. Dozens of windows stare out at the world. I count six stories in total and more rooms than I can possibly imagine. It’s ringed by walls topped with curled barbed wire. Guard towers are spaced evenly around the perimeter. The peak is capped with gold so bright it hurts my eyes. There are crenellations and carvings, decorative details and functional cameras. It’s like a jail mixed with a prince’s palace. I can’t begin to make sense of how a place like that could’ve ever appeared in an unspoiled jungle like this.
The driver’s smiling at me in the rearview. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Terrible. Horrible.”
He nods eagerly. “All of the above. You should see the inside. Well, I suppose you will shortly.”
“How big is it?”
“Enormous.” He shrugs like that’s all he can possibly say.
“What about the Resort?” I remember Mass mentioned something about a resort on the plane.
“That’s on the other side of the island. But you’re not allowed over there.”
“What do you mean?”
“The island is split. Over here is Mr. Cardone’s private home inside the Fortress. Over there is the Resort. It’s like a five-star hotel for extremely wealthy and powerful clients.”
Hope blossoms in my chest. If there’s some kind of vacation place on this island, that means there are other ways of getting on and off. Which means boats, planes, friendly people, and escape.
There’s a way out after all.
All I’ll have to do is scale the massive walls surrounding the Fortress, squeeze through the barbed wire, and do it all with my daughter tucked under my arm.
The driver takes us through a well-protected gate. The cars park in front of a big entrance like something I’ve only seen at banks and downtown office buildings. Mass went inside already, and I’m whisked away by a small legion of house staff wearing black and acting friendly.
But I remember Lucy’s warning.
They’re all loyal to him. Otherwise, why stay in a place like this?
I carry Rosie as we enter the Fortress. The scale of the place takes my breath away. It’s like a massive hotel with people walking all over the place. I remember visiting Vegas with my family and feeling dwarfed by the enormity of the casinos, but this is even worse. I’m hurried along into an elevator with only a single button. “This is Mr. Cardone’s private quarters,” an older woman explains. The doors close and we’re whisked upwards to the top floor. “He likes the view,” she says with a wink as we step out into a lavish apartment.