"As you can see, an elevator on the right. Its main security feature is to input a set of six codes, different per floor and also separate for each housekeeper and resident, so we can quickly identify who snitched or gave the codes. But for you, sir, yours is special; you only have one set of codes that can access all of the floors, including the bunker. They do change once a month, but sadly, this elevator only has access to the upper floors, none going down," he said and pressed the button. The elevator door opened wide. This kind of elevator was high-end, most likely used by five-star hotels, and outfitted with cameras, not the clearly cheap ones.
"You need to input your code or say it out loud when your hands are carrying something, but we're not going to the second floor yet. Let's explore the first floor," he said and went towards the double doors below the staircase that led to the main living room.
Swoosh.
When the doors opened wide, he saw an open floor plan with a few pillars supporting the second floor's weight. Upon entering, he saw the main living room with a U-shaped couch and a large black carpet below that was soft as a pillow. Drilled to the wall was a 150-inch TV.
"So, as you can see, we have this main living room that nearly occupies ¼ of the entire floor. The furniture is top class from different Atlas-held brands, but we ensured we chose comfort and durability, with different appliances needed, along with kitchen appliances if you want to cook. But we also have a separate kitchen for the private cook you hired, and they are all high-end industrial category cookware."
Going through the private kitchen, he saw LED lights below, highlighting the edges of the tables, making it easy for people to navigate and avoid hitting them in the dark.
Next on the tour was the left wing, which had a quite big garden. Drones outfitted with colorful lights hovered, having their own charging stations. The entire wing had one-way mirror glass, allowing him to see outside but preventing anyone from seeing inside. The drones were decorated almost like a park.
Next was the right wing, which housed a gym section dominating three floors. The first floor was the public gym, all brand new, while the second floor was a combat simulation floor, and the third was Rafael's private gym room.
After that tour, they were brought back to the main floor and went to the second floor, labeled as the guest room. Upon arriving via the elevator, it had a living room and a hallway that led to the rooms in both wings. The floor alone had 40 guest rooms, complete with furnished beds and working showers and toilets. Going on to the next floor,
The entertainment room was fully decked out for needed recreational time, with an arcade room, a casino area with a private dealer, a movie room, an archery room, and a gaming room that held any game one could desire. Rafael had to nod in satisfaction as they proceeded to the fourth floor.
The fourth floor had nine master bedrooms. Each one was properly furnished but not to the point of Atlas standards, just enough for the next occupier to use it, with a mini living room with a TV and a bathtub, following the European-style mansion theme.
After a quick tour of the indoor pool in the right wing, located above the gym and capable of transforming into a yoga area or a wide balcony for barbecue, they finally reached the main master bedroom.
Entering the room felt like entering a king's chamber. Smack in the middle was an Alaskan king-size bed. To the right of the room was a mini-bar with an average-sized fridge and microwave, and to the left was another living room with a 200-inch TV that could move from the living room section to face the bed. The north wing was a convertible open-area balcony.
With the flick of a switch, it could turn into a mini Olympic swimming pool or a gym. The best feature was a private elevator that could lead into the bunker below the house, located in his walk-in wardrobe, which held a dozen of the same pairs of clothes and different kinds of shoes for different purposes. With a DNA scan, it would transform into a private armory with various small arms and lines of body armor.
Rafael was impressed and started the Q&A after the house tour.
"So, how many housekeeping staff are needed to maintain such a place?"
"Over 50 are needed, and at most for security personnel, 60 at most, most of whom are also part of Atlas security forces assigned to this mansion," he said, and Rafael turned to Graves, who understood and nodded.
Outside
"To the left of the house, following the paved trail, that's the housekeepers' and security personnel's residence. It follows a mini-apartment design with four floors, two kitchens, and a single dining room," he said, and Graves nodded in acknowledgement.
"The apartment has its own bunker system in case we're under attack, and it can survive a single artillery strike," he said.
"And at the back of the house, there's a concrete platform which is multi-functional with a pool under it," he said. After discussing the other parts of the estate, which included a forest not far and accessible by ATV or side-by-side ATVs,
They decided to go through the bunker, accessible only by the second elevator, requiring its own separate code. After inputting it, the underground section tour began. The parking lot had three floors, starting with the first.
The first floor housed the public parking space for staff and future residents. The second floor was used by security personnel vehicles used to defend the estate, with parked armored vehicles and a workshop for repair and maintenance, along with ATVs lined up and 24/7 four guards stationed in case a situation popped up.
The last floor, Rafael's own personal space, had different vehicles that Rafael had acquired throughout his career lined up and covered with tarps. He also had his own workshop and a resting place in case he needed to sleep, along with a microwave and a mini-fridge. Before he forgot, the second-floor parking lot had three M1 Abrams deployable through elevators with trained crews from the security personnel.
"Talk about overkill," Graves couldn't help but comment on the amount of weapons.
"It's not even the start of it, since any unauthorized aircraft flying over the estate will be met with a Phalanx CIWS hidden underground that will reveal itself, and surface-to-air missiles with Patriot missiles ready to reveal and launch. The objective is creating a total dome of protection covering the estate's vicinity," he explained and talked more about the hidden weapon bunkers in case the enemy came from the ground, the activation of automatic Gatling guns, and the cyber security, swearing that no one could hack it since it was in an isolated location only Rafael could access.
As they were heading to the entrance, he explained the new barracks for the extra amount of soldiers that could be deployed.
"Oh, before I forget, there's a hidden high-speed capsule that is directed to the mountain base nearby in case the enemy breaches all of the defenses. It's enough to evacuate everyone, including the extra hands joining soon," he said and arrived at the entrance of his house.
"Thanks for the tour, Enes. Question, all of this estate, how much does it cost?" he asked, since this house started building one year ago, and he ordered a rush job as he planned to live in it once it was done, which was a month ago.
"Officially, around 1 billion dollars, but unofficially, it's over 20 billion due to the hidden defenses, including the vehicles and appliances, and lastly, 10 years of wages for the staff and personnel," he said and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Alright, Graves, begin moving our people here and station two platoons at all times. Make sure a squad is ready to act as a QRF, and the rest will be with me or at the base, ready to act," Rafael gave instructions, and Graves nodded.
Days went by after the tour, and Rafael fully moved into the estate. He enjoyed every moment of it, using the nearby forest as a training ground to ensure his skills weren't rusty, while his garage was being filled with vehicles he ordered, all modified with military-grade gear.
Later, Michael delivered new information from the Atlas Strategic Intelligence Bureau, or A.S.I.B. for short, reporting that one of his fiancées had landed in the Philippines. The branch HQ in Manila and a semi-branch in New Clark City were alerted, and all personnel were mobilized to investigate.
From the pictures taken, she was heavily guarded. The ones guarding her were former Navy SEALs, former Secret Service agents, and other ex-special forces commandos. She came from the United States, and all of them were part of her security detail. She lived in a mansion a few dozen kilometers from the presidential palace.
Atlas Administrative office in Tacloban, Rafael's covert office
"Is the information reliable?" Rafe asked Michael, who was sitting on a couch not far from his desk.
"Yes, and that photo right there is her. Personality-wise, she's a cheerful girl to the public and the families themselves. Some say she's quite innocent, but other accounts reported that she's not the same person when she eliminates assassins. Also, she's got her own network of information, but we could say she's…" Michael paused, letting Rafael speak the remaining parts.
"Basically a wolf in sheep's clothing?" Rafael continued.
"Yes. And wanna know her name?" he asked, as that was the only missing information.
"Sure," Rafael said.
"Ruby Zandria Rose," he said, and the name rang a bell in Rafael's mind.
"Her family controls 40% of the United States government and some parts of America," Michael said with a tired sigh.
"So Marcus will have a hard time again maintaining his control of North America if he returns back to his throne," Rafael said and placed the photo down.
"Yes, and he's our only man who can control it. A recent report from the ASIB revealed that his mother was part of a mafia family in New York, which is his current residence. Marcus was part of a marriage deal for another family in order for her mother to live in peace, and currently, he's entering the initiation phase. His fiancée has been pestering him too much and might have to deal with it sooner," he said, looking through his tablet.
"Well, honestly, I feel bad, since the underworld of the United States doesn't know the blood that Marcus spilled when he became the king of North America. Right now, his faction still maintains the balance, but it's slowly losing territories, though they were able to maintain order despite his semi-retirement," Michael said.
"Well, sooner or later, he will snap and show his true colors. I received new intel that his fiancée has some unknown enemies who are a splinter branch who hated the main branch and have been gaining power in Italy, planning to attack them soon," Michael continued and turned to Rafael with a neutral expression.
"Don't inform him. He needs a push to bring him back to his throne. Plus, make sure he's monitored and include his family in the surveillance. If this gets out of hand and spills into our territories, deploy a sizable Left Hand of Justice unit, around three companies at most, to guard them, since this kind of battle might lose our holdings," Rafael said, looking through the data he received.
"How about the High Table? Should we inform them of the developing situation?" he asked.
"Yes, including Glory and all of our vassals. But make sure that we only inform them about my engagements, gatekeeping certain subjects, and monitor after informing them. Make sure any information that they reveal is noted down," Rafael ordered, since most of the people Rafael was engaged with were a mystery, so he preferred to spread the news a bit, and any information they spilled would be noted and tracked down.
"How about the UN Security Council membership event or the Security Council summit?" Michael asked, since commonly Canute took place as the public official who made announcements or attended parties.
"I will be the one doing it, since I have a few words to share with the world," Rafael said, as all of the initial work was done, and school was just something that could blend into a person's life.
"It's next week, a few days before your family's founding anniversary," Michael informed him as he prepared to send a message.
"Good. Prepare the plane, and I will inform my father of the event and try to divert it," Rafael said and stood up, leaving the office and heading back to the family mansion.
Villanueva Mansion
"Where's my father, Ben?" Rafael asked the butler, who pointed upstairs, indicating his location. Rafael nodded thankfully.
Hector's office
Rafael knocked before entering and now sat in front of his father. Before entering, he saw his father on the phone with someone but wasn't able to hear the entire conversation. He silently pulled out a mini microphone and radio wave interceptor and placed it under the desk in a blind spot.
"Son, what do you need?" Hector asked after putting the phone down.
"I'm planning to travel abroad for a bit, specifically New York, to meet some old friends," I said in a soft tone. He thought about it deeply before giving me a nod of approval.
"When?"
"In a few days, probably next week, I will be getting on a private jet," Rafael said, since his father knew about Rafael's connections with Atlas.
"Sure, just be sure to tell your school," he said. As Rafael was about to leave, he posed a question.
"One of your fiancées is going to arrive on the day you are going to leave, since it's also next week. How many days are you going to stay?"
"In three days, I will be coming back after landing in New York," Rafael said.
To be continued…