Chapter 7
Rebecca’s breath caught in her throat. She tapped the notification, expanding the security log. The IP address matched their home router on Elm Street, but the device identifier was unfamiliar—a direct terminal link bypassing the standard mobile interface.
"He’s trying to wipe the cloud storage remotely," Rebecca said, her fingers flying across the virtual keyboard as she frantically searched for the security lockdown settings. "If he hits the master delete command before we isolate the files..."
"Disconnect the Wi-Fi," Arthur commanded, reaching over and snapping the physical Ethernet cable from the back of the router stationed in the corner of the guest room, while simultaneously toggling the tablet’s network switch to offline mode.
The spinning wheel on the screen froze, then vanished, replaced by a red warning box: Connection lost. Remote wipe sequence aborted at 87%.
Rebecca slumped back in the chair, letting out a long, shuddering breath that felt like it drained the last of her physical tension. "That was too close. Eighteen more seconds and the folder would have been scrubbed clean."
Arthur looked down at the tablet, his expression grim. "He knows you have the tablet. He knows you use that specific cloud service. Julian isn't stupid; he’s calculating every move we make right now."
"So what do we do next?" Rebecca asked, looking up at her father for guidance. The initial rush of rebellion was giving way to the cold, sobering realization that they were playing a high-stakes game against an adversary who had nothing left to lose.
"We move before sunrise," Arthur said without hesitation. "We take the flash drive, we take Leo, and we drive directly to Agent Miller’s private residence in the hills. We don't trust the local station, and we don't wait for morning office hours."
Rebecca glanced over at the bassinet. Leo was stirring slightly, letting out a soft sigh as he shifted onto his side. The thought of packing him back into the freezing car seat in the middle of the night made her heart ache, but the alternative—waiting for Julian to track their digital footprint to her father’s address—was a risk they simply couldn't take.
"Let's do it," she said, standing up and reaching for her winter coat.
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They packed with military efficiency. Within ten minutes, Arthur had loaded their bags into the trunk of the sedan while Rebecca strapped Leo securely into his car seat, wrapping him in an extra down blanket. The night outside was pitch black, the moon obscured by heavy, low-hanging clouds that threatened rain.
As Arthur slid behind the steering wheel and turned the ignition, the engine roared to life, breaking the heavy silence of the suburban street. He put the car in reverse, guiding it smoothly out of the driveway, unaware that two blocks away, a sleek black SUV was idling with its lights off, watching their every move.
