The War Room
746 Words
Kevin's pov
"We need someone who is better than them. We can't go in blindly."
"And you know someone who can?" Costa asked while eyeing Ryder.
I stopped at the foot of the stairs. If Ryder couldn't c***k it, we were blind and nothing could bypass that without informing the other part. My mind raced back two years, to a dusty burner phone and a man who looked like a titan even when he was holding a drafting pencil.
"Jake 'The Phoenix' Williams."
The ex-Major turned world-renowned architect had helped me once before, all because I’d looked out for his brother, Calvin Miller. Jake’s warning still rang in my ears: “If you ever need legal help, call Reign. Tech help? Call Luca. But don’t ever put my kids at risk. I’ll leave architecture behind and slice you open.”
I knew the risk. Putting a target on the Phoenix’s son was a death sentence if things went south. But Luca Williams was the only name that mattered now. The kid hadn't stepped foot in a CS lecture hall, yet he operated on a level that made Silicon Valley look like a playground. He was a ghost in the machine, a natural-born prodigy.
"Ryder, get me a secure line," I barked, stepping into the War Room. "We need Luca Williams."
"Who is that?" Henry asked, Austin was too quiet ever since he had a confrontation with Alexa. I needed him on his a-game not this somber looking man. Maybe he felt like he disappointed her, or me because of what we found in the house.
"Jake William's so."
"The Phoenix’s kid?" Ryder looked up, his face pale. "Kevin, if Jake finds out we’re dragging his boy into a Spectre-level mess..."
"I'll deal with the father later. Right now, I need the son."
I walked over to the main console, my eyes scanning the flickering IP addresses. Alexandra rushed forward to her brother, Lindon, who was huddled with Kyle.
"We're fine, Sis," Lindon said, though his face was pale. "Kyle’s been showing me how the perimeter sensors work. This place is... it's a tank, Alex."
"Talk to me, Ryder," I commanded, staring at the screen.
"We caught the tail end of the data dump," Ryder said, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "The Ghost isn't in London or New York. The signal is bouncing through a private server owned by a shell company called 'Vesper Holdings.' But the encryption is rotating. It’s like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."
I felt the air leave the room. I looked at Alexandra. Her face had gone completely white, her hand gripping the back of Lindon’s chair until her knuckles were ghost-white.
"That... that looks like Vesper Holdings," she whispered, her voice trembling. "But I'm not sure. What if another person gets the blame like last time?" Her eyes met mine, filled with a look of pure horror.
The silence in the War Room was absolute. The predator wasn't a ghost anymore. He had a name. And he had been standing right next to her for years, waiting for the moment to strike.
"They didn't just want you gone, Kevin," Alexandra said, a tear finally escaping. "They wanted to take the company from the inside out. And I handed them the keys because I thought you were the one who betrayed me. Dad always told me not to let just anyone in, what did I do? I did the opposite of what he told me. He trusted with everything, the minute I was fed lies, I believed them. Now I have succeeded in putting my brother's life in danger. After everything, you are here, doing everything to help me when I did everything to ruin your life and reputation. They are saying the man you're talking about is dangerous but still you're willing to walk through fire for us. Now will will probably do the hostile takeover, all my father's hard work, all the work we did, down the drain because I handed them the key ."
I walked over to her, ignoring the team, ignoring Henry. I took her face in my hands, my thumbs wiping away the salt of her fear.
"Then we take the keys back, Alexa. And we take their heads while we're at it. Luca will find the door. I’ll be the one to kick it down."
- Writer
