Chapter 14
Within fifteen minutes of Julian’s call, a nondescript silver sedan pulled quietly up to the curb beside them, its engine idling softly without headlights. The passenger-side window rolled down smoothly, revealing the weathered, sharp-eyed face of a man in his late forties wearing a simple canvas jacket.
"Get in," Marcus Vance said, his voice gravelly and devoid of unnecessary panic. "Before the local cell tower pings your location to whoever is tracking that burner phone."
Julian opened the rear door, helping Claire and Sophie slide into the warm, leather-lined interior of the car before climbing in beside them and slamming the door shut. Marcus pressed down on the accelerator, pulling away from the curb smoothly and blending into the sparse night traffic without a trace of urgency.
"You look like hell, Julian," Marcus remarked casually, glancing up at the rearview mirror to meet Julian’s exhausted gaze. "And based on the encrypted data dump you just sent me over the secure relay, your home network isn't the only thing that’s completely compromised."
"Who was behind the breach, Marcus ?" Julian demanded, leaning forward between the front seats.
"Your former chief competitor at Sterling Defense," Marcus said, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "They didn't just want your algorithms for corporate espionage; they wanted to frame you for corporate treason by uploading classified blueprints to foreign servers from your personal IP. The break-in at your house tonight was designed to either force you into compliance or eliminate the witnesses before the federal investigation landed on your doorstep."
Claire felt a cold shiver run down her spine, but alongside the fear came a profound sense of validation. The nightmare was real, but the truth was finally coming to light. She looked down at little Sophie, who stirred sleepily, opening her big, clear eyes without the red irritation of earlier tears, looking up at her mother with quiet, innocent trust.
"Can you prove it ?" Claire asked, her voice steady and clear for the first time all evening.
May you like
"We already have," Marcus said, tapping the dashboard screen, which displayed a live terminal feed of federal servers receiving an automated data packet containing the complete intrusion logs, audio recordings, and visual proof of the mercenaries trespassing on Julian’s property. "Federal marshals are securing your estate as we speak. The men who chased you into the ravine are already in custody."
Julian exhaled a long, shuddering breath that seemed to carry away years of accumulated tension. He reached out, his hand covering Claire’s cold fingers where she held Sophie, giving them a firm, reassuring squeeze.
