The Last Echo

Chapter 2: The Web Tightens

Marcus's discovery in the warehouse was just the beginning. The server was a treasure trove of information, but it was also a trap. As soon as he accessed the files, alarms blared, and the room was flooded with armed men. Marcus barely escaped with his life, but not before downloading a portion of the data onto a flash drive.

Back at Jax's apartment, the hacker worked tirelessly to decrypt the files. What they found was staggering—a list of names, dates, and locations, all connected to The Echo. But the most shocking revelation was a video file, showing Ethan in the moments before his death.

The video was grainy, but Marcus could see his son clearly. Ethan was in a room, surrounded by men in suits. He looked scared, but determined, as he spoke into a camera.

"If you're watching this, Dad, I'm sorry," Ethan said, his voice trembling. "I didn't want to get involved, but I had to. They're planning something big, something terrible. The Echo—it's not just a name. It's a weapon. And they're going to use it to—"

The video cut off abruptly, leaving Marcus with more questions than answers. What was The Echo? What were they planning? And why had Ethan gotten involved?

The answers lay in the data, but it was incomplete. Marcus needed more, and he knew where to find it—the man in the photograph. The one with the symbol on his lapel.

His name was Victor Kane, a high-ranking executive at a powerful tech company called NexGen. According to the files, Kane was one of The Echo's key operatives, and he was scheduled to attend a gala event in the city in two days.

Marcus didn't have a plan, but he didn't need one. He was going to that gala, and he was going to get answers.