Chapter 13. Fragments of Power
The estate was in darkness, but Elara’s mind burned bright.
They were watching her.
She didn’t know how deep the breach went or what systems had been compromised, but the message had been unmistakable: We see you.
Elara paced the floor of the command room Naomi had set up in the basement, once a wine cellar, now a digital warzone. Screens flickered as backup generators kicked in, illuminating Naomi’s face in sharp, shifting shadows. Damien stood nearby, a pistol holstered at his side, jaw tight, eyes constantly scanning the entrances.
"They cut the power from inside the grid," Naomi said. "This wasn’t a simple hack. They’ve infiltrated something deeper. Possibly infrastructure-level access."
"Julian?" Damien asked.
"Or someone he’s paying." Naomi’s fingers flew over her keyboard. "We’re blind until I can rebuild a firewall that doesn’t leak like a sieve."
Luca entered from the tunnel behind the west wing, rainwater dripping from his shoulders, boots slick with mud. His eyes were bloodshot but sharp. He held out a small black drive.
"Reyes gave us a list," he said, pulling a folded document from his jacket pocket with his free hand. "And a digital signature. Three off-shore labs. Two data vaults. One location marked only as Fragment."
"Fragment?" Elara echoed, unfolding the document. Her eyes scanned the cryptic lines of coordinates and symbols. Etched in the center was a half-circle enclosing a triangle. It looked ancient, tribal almost. And chilling.
Damien stepped closer. "That’s not a lab. That’s a site. Possibly black-budget. Hidden under layers of government protection."