Chapter 14
The heavy rain continued to pound against the wooden porch roof,
and the sound of the crashing ocean suddenly felt incredibly ominous,
as the dark reality of Miller's urgent warning settled in completely.
I took the classified folder from his outstretched hand,
and I opened it to review the highly redacted intelligence documents,
my eyes quickly scanning the complex global financial pathways.
The money is being funneled through a massive phantom corporation,
Miller explained quietly,
and the entire network is incredibly decentralized and highly advanced.
It operates completely independent of human oversight,
he added,
and it utilizes a highly sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithm.
They are using an automated system to coordinate assassinations,
I realized with a deep and profound sense of absolute dread,
and that makes them incredibly difficult to predict or effectively counter.
The algorithm analyzes massive amounts of global data,
he confirmed,
and it identifies vulnerabilities in our security grid instantaneously.
We intercepted a deeply encrypted communication packet this morning,
he continued,
and the primary target of the upcoming strike is your daughter.
My blood ran incredibly cold at the mention of her name,
and the protective rage that I had carefully buried deep inside,
instantly roared back to life with terrifying and absolute intensity.
Where is Lily right now,
I demanded sharply,
and I quickly checked my secure phone for her location beacon.
She is currently at her corporate office in the city,
he replied,
and we already dispatched a heavily armed ghost team to secure her.
Call them off immediately,
I ordered him,
and I rushed into the house to grab my tactical gear.
If the algorithm is as incredibly advanced as you claim,
I explained,
then it already knows exactly how your ghost teams operate,
and it will easily use their predictable tactics against them.
I grabbed my heavy assault rifle and a full tactical vest,
and I threw them quickly into the trunk of my powerful truck,
knowing that every single second was incredibly precious.
I am going to extract her myself,
I told him,
and I am going strictly off the grid and completely dark.
Miller did not argue with my highly aggressive tactical decision,
and he simply nodded in complete and absolute understanding,
knowing that I was the only one who could truly protect her.
I slammed the truck into gear and tore down the long driveway,
and I pushed the powerful engine to its absolute maximum limit,
racing desperately toward the towering glass buildings of the city.
The drive took exactly forty-five agonizing and incredibly tense minutes,
and my mind played through a thousand horrific and terrifying scenarios,
each one ending with my brilliant daughter bleeding on the floor.
I reached the massive corporate plaza and skidded to a violent halt,
and I grabbed my concealed pistol from the center console,
stepping out into the pouring rain with absolute determination.
The lobby of the incredibly modern building was eerily and completely quiet,
and the security guards were missing from their usual front desks,
which was a massive and completely terrifying tactical red flag.
I drew my weapon and moved cautiously toward the primary elevators,
and I scanned the corners for any hidden or concealed threats,
my senses completely heightened to their absolute maximum capacity.
The elevator doors suddenly chimed and began to slowly open,
and I raised my gun directly at the widening gap,
fully prepared to shoot whoever stepped out into the lobby.
Lily stumbled out of the car,
and she was completely out of breath and incredibly pale,
but she appeared to be physically unharmed and totally intact.
Dad,
she gasped in relief,
and she ran directly into my strong and protective arms.
They completely hacked the building's internal security grid,
she explained rapidly,
and they locked down all the primary stairwells and exits.
We need to leave this location right now,
I told her,
and I pulled her toward the heavy glass front doors.
But as we reached the exit,
May you like
a massive armored vehicle smashed through the front windows,
sending huge shards of glass raining down onto the marble floor.
