Cassius Marlowe stood in the penthouse office, the panoramic view of Obsidian Bay offering no comfort. His father, Magnus, was hunched over a bank of monitors, his face etched with strain. The corruption of the Black Sea data had stalled the acceleration protocol, but the financial hemorrhaging was relentless. Magnus was in a state of suspended panic, waiting for the next blow.
Cassius ignored the formal security protocols, slamming the warehouse drive, the small silver box Kaelen had left him onto his father’s desk.
"Forget the stock market, Father," Cassius announced, his voice tight and manic. He ripped the jacket off his still-bandaged arm. "The man is not a hacker. He's a paramilitary operative. And I know exactly who he is."
Magnus slowly t
