Luis' POV
Sleep refused to come.
I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, replaying blueprints in my mind. Structural reinforcements. Access roads. Water mapping. Escape routes.
And Mia.
That part annoyed me.
I turned to my side and grabbed my tablet from the nightstand. The list was already drafted — names of men I trusted. Not just skilled workers. Loyal ones.
Former military engineer.
Two geologists.
A foreman who had worked with my father for fifteen years.
An electrician who owed me a favor.
If we were building what I thought we were building — what Mia was clearly preparing for — we couldn't risk outsiders.
After Hawaii smal island dispute, I had already begun vetting people quietly. Those who respected the native community. Those who wouldn't sell information for money.
Trust would be our first wall.
I set the tablet down.
Tomorrow wasn't just about inspecting land.
It was about confirming whether this was truly possible.
Whether her fear… matched mine.
I closed my eyes.
Somewhere between structural calculations and the memory of her determined expression in the boardroom, sleep finally dragged me under.
---
Dawn came too quickly.
By six sharp, I was outside Mia's family home.
The gates opened, and I stepped out of the car as her father approached the entrance.
"Good morning, Mr. Alps," I greeted respectfully.
He smiled. "Luis. Early as always."
"Couldn't waste daylight."
He chuckled. "You sound like my daughter."
We exchanged a few light jokes about how both of us apparently worked too much. He warned me that Mia had probably overpacked for a two-hour drive.
"She gets that from her mother," he added.
Right on cue, Mia appeared at the doorway.
She carried a medium-sized insulated food storage bag.
Her red hair was tied loosely today, and she wore something simple, jeans and a fitted long-sleeve top. Casual.
Still distracting.
Her parents reminded us to drive safely.
I stepped forward before she could protest, took the bag from her hand, and opened the passenger door.
"I can carry it," she muttered.
"I know," I replied calmly. "I still will."
She rolled her eyes slightly but got in.
I walked around and started the engine.
---
The first fifteen minutes were quiet.
Too quiet.
"So," she began carefully, "how far exactly from the main highway?"
"Approximately twenty-two kilometers. Last five kilometers are unpaved but accessible."
"Good."
Silence again.
"I'm playing music," she suddenly announced. "It's awkward."
"I didn't realize we were awkward."
"We are."
I allowed myself a faint smile. "Go ahead."
She connected her phone.
The first song that played was slow. Suspiciously emotional.
She skipped it quickly.
The second one wasn't much better — lyrics about survival and burning cities.
We both froze for a second.
She cleared her throat. "Algorithm."
"Of course."
The air felt heavier somehow.
I focused on the road, but every few minutes I glanced sideways.
Her posture relaxed gradually.
Then, somewhere between kilometer markers and soft background music, her head tilted toward the window.
She fell asleep.
I noticed immediately.
Her breathing evened out. Her shoulders loosened.
She must have been exhausted.
I slowed down and pulled over safely to the side of the road.
Carefully, I reclined her seat slightly so her neck wouldn't strain.
She didn't wake.
For a moment, I just looked at her.
The early sunlight caught the strands of her long red hair, making them almost copper.
Without thinking, I brushed a few strands away from her face.
Soft.
I pulled my hand back instantly.
Focus.
I resumed driving.
---
When we finally reached the property boundary, I stopped the car gently.
I leaned slightly toward her.
"Mia," I said softly.
No response.
I tapped her shoulder lightly.
"Mia."
Her eyes fluttered open.
---
Mia's POV
The first thing I saw was Luis' face.
Too close.
I blinked.
Oh my God.
I moved back instantly, straightening in my seat.
"I—I fell asleep?"
"Yes."
I looked out the window, embarrassed. "Sorry. I must've been tired."
"You were," he said calmly, already giving me space.
Why did that make it worse?
I cleared my throat and stepped out of the car.
The air hit me first.
Clean.
Quiet.
Then I saw it.
The land stretched wide before us, slightly elevated terrain surrounded by dense natural tree lines. The slope from the western side created natural drainage. From survey data, this elevation alone reduced flood risk significantly.
It was larger than I remembered from the maps.
"Approximately twelve hectares," Luis said, walking beside me. "Tree density on the perimeter. Clear core area. Natural rock formations on the northern side."
Perfect.
Far enough from the main road that no one would pass by accidentally. Hidden by terrain dips and thick vegetation.
People wouldn't even imagine something underground here.
Two bunkers could fit easily, one primary, one secondary fallback site, separated by at least 300 meters for safety redundancy.
I walked deeper into the clearing, analyzing soil firmness with each step.
Clay mix. Stable enough with reinforcement.
Luis continued explaining, "There's a freshwater stream about four hundred meters east. Underground mapping shows consistent water levels year-round."
I turned toward him, unable to hide my excitement.
"That means we can integrate a filtration intake without visible surface pipes."
"Exactly."
My mind raced.
Solar panels could be installed along the southern slope where sunlight exposure was strongest, angled low and disguised within agricultural-looking structures.
A small greenhouse on the surface could justify energy presence.
Below ground, reinforced concrete with steel mesh. Triple security entrance hidden within the rock wall to the north.
Invisible.
No obvious ventilation shafts, they would be disguised within hollow tree structures with carbon filtering caps.
"Flood-free?" I asked.
"Based on topography, yes. Even with extreme rainfall, water drains downward toward the west valley."
Good.
Climate change variables accounted for.
I turned to him, smiling fully now.
"This is perfect."
His expression softened slightly.
"I thought you'd say that."
---
We walked the perimeter for nearly an hour, discussing structural placements, emergency exits, possible watch points.
Then I remembered the food.
"I brought something," I said, walking back to the car.
I handed him a cold bottled drink first.
"Thanks."
I opened mine and took a long drink, tilting my head slightly back.
The liquid was cold against my throat.
When I lowered the bottle, I noticed him watching me.
Not subtly.
Heat rushed to my face.
I quickly looked away and pretended to examine the tree line while taking another sip.
---
Luis' POV
She was adorable when she tried not to look embarrassed.
The way she turned away after catching me staring.
It wasn't even summer yet.
Why did it feel this warm?
Being alone with her in a remote area should have made me cautious.
Instead, it made me… nervous.
And oddly happy.
We sat on a fallen log and shared the sandwiches she brought.
Between bites, we discussed ventilation systems adaptable to temperature shifts. Reinforced insulation. Rainwater harvesting systems that wouldn't draw attention.
"The bunker has to evolve," she said seriously. "Weather patterns are unpredictable."
"It will," I replied.
Her focus was sharp. Intelligent. Strategic.
This wasn't paranoia.
This was preparation.
By late afternoon, we had mapped potential entry points, emergency escape tunnel direction, and surface camouflage strategies.
If built correctly, no one would ever suspect what lay beneath.
As the sun began lowering, casting long shadows across the clearing, I looked at her standing in the middle of the land, hair glowing under golden light, eyes scanning the horizon like she was already seeing the future.
And maybe she was.
This wasn't just land.
This was ground zero.
And whatever storm was coming,
We would be ready.