Mag-log inChapter 119: The Domestic GhostThe bad smell of burned electronics went away as the armored SUV drove away from the Nice airfield. Outside the rain had finally caught up with the Mediterranean coast making the flashing blue lights of the emergency vehicles look like long blurry lines against the dark glass.In the back of the SUV it was very quiet. Elena sat with her laptop on her knees typing with a careful pace that she always used. The rough quartz pendant around her neck did not move against her collarbone. The silver ring on her finger shone under the vehicle's white lights.Julian sat next to Elena looking strong and in charge. He had his arm around her pulling her close to him with a grip that showed he was protecting her. His gray eyes were fixed on the screen watching as the shadow cartel's money was being taken away."The money transfer is going smoothly, " Elena said, her voice clear and sharp. "The VALE_09 system has taken all the regime's hidden money. Every single franc
Chapter 118: The Biometric LockoutThe inside of Hangar 4 was an empty space made of corrugated steel. It smelled like fuel for airplanes, hydraulic fluid and electronics that were working hard. In the middle of the floor there was a jet with no company name on it. The jet was black and medium sized. Its engines were not making any noise. A small unit was humming and making the ground vibrate.Under the jet's wing a temporary medical station was set up. It had computers that were showing a strong yellow light. This light was making shadows on the jet's body.Julian walked past the pieces of the side door. He was really big. Blocked the whole exit. His jaw was tight with anger. His gray eyes were fixed on something in front of him. He did not look at the guns that were lying around the room. Just being there he made the air feel thick and hard to breathe.Elena was standing next to him. She was wearing a leather coat that was a little open. Her fingers were moving quickly on the comput
Chapter 117: The Hangar BreachThe plane landed at the Nice-Côte d'Azur airport in the middle of the night. The Mediterranean coastline was dark. The lights from the coast were shining bright. The Gulfstream plane touched down on the runway with a lot of force making the people inside feel like they were being pushed back into their seats.Julian did not wait for the stairs to come out of the plane. Soon as the door opened he started walking down feeling the warm air of the French Riviera on his face. He was not wearing his coat. The tie and the top button of his shirt was open. His eyes were cold and angry. He looked very powerful as he walked out onto the open space.Elena followed him, her long black coat flying around her legs as she walked. Her face was serious and strong and the stone pendant around her neck was shining in the light of the cars that were waiting for them. There were three black cars with armor given to them by Marcus and his team."The people guarding the hangar
Chapter 116: The Riviera VectorThe Gulfstreams engines were really loud as the plane took off from the runway at Brussels-Abelag. It was like a roar that just got louder and louder. The plane went up into the air fast and the sky was all rainy and stormy.There was no time to relax after what happened to Baron Vance in court. The people inside the plane were already. Working like they were in a war room. It was a tense and serious atmosphere.Julian was standing at the front of the conference table. He had taken off his suit jacket and his big frame was leaning against the table because the plane was going up steeply. His sleeves were rolled up. You could see the muscles in his arms. He looked really focused and serious, staring at the map of the Riviera on the screen.Elena was sitting under the lights typing away on her computer. She was really fast and precise like she knew what she was doing. The stone pendant around her neck was swinging back and forth as the plane went up."The
Chapter 115: The Eviction MandateThe room inside the grand maritime chamber of the Palais de Justice had changed. It was no longer quiet and calculating. Now it was a place of panic. The light coming through the stained-glass skylight was darker and longer casting shadows across the empty benches.Julian and Elena walked back down the aisle. They moved with the authority of people who were in charge. Julian had his coat over his arm. He was wearing a charcoal suit and his gray eyes were flat and hard. Elena walked beside him, her dark leather trench coat open a bit. Her charcoal blazer was sharp and professional. She had a band on her finger and a raw quartz pendant against her chest.Across the aisle Baron Hendrick Vance looked broken. He was slumped in his chair in his suit. His hair was out of place. His advisors were not typing on their tablets anymore. They sat with their heads down and their hands on the table. They were getting messages from Geneva and Zurich. The private corp
Chapter 114: The Sub-Tier PerimeterThe descent into the archives of the Palais de Justice felt like stepping back into a forgotten century of stone and iron. The stairs down from the marble of the public galleries led to raw damp limestone corridors. These corridors were lit by low-wattage security bulbs spaced apart. The bulbs hummed against the dampness underground.Julian moved down the flight of stone steps. He did so with the predatory ease of a hunter stalking prey into a cave. His large frame filled the corridor. The dark fabric of his cashmere overcoat brushed against the walls. His gray eyes were hard. Like ice. They seemed to be made of executive power.Elena was behind his shoulder. Her dark leather trench coat was zipped up tight against the chill of the sub-tier. She held a security mobile command unit. The unit's screen was dimmed to a clinical blue. This blue highlighted the angles of her face. Her right hand was steady over the console. Her unpolished silver band caug
Chapter 107: The Southern TerminalThe night air in Miami's Biscayne Bay was heavy and humid. It rolled across the veranda of the Mandarin Oriental suite. The neon skyline of downtown Miami was mirrored in the waters of the bay. This was a change from the glass tower they had left behind in Brickel
Chapter 106: The Sealed PerimeterThe elevator shaft in the Brickell tower made a groaning sound as the emergency back-up generators started working. They hum-clicked to life with a mechanical shudder. The main digital display panels inside the elevator were not working. Instead there was an eerie
Chapter 2: The Lion’s DenThe Vane Headquarters was a building made of black glass and steel that stood tall in the midnight sky of Midtown. As Elena stepped out of the cab the cold wind blew her hair across her face. She didn't even notice. She was too scared. Her heart was racing fast.The lobby
Chapter 1: The Ghost of Viral Past The invitation was heavy with lettering; it felt like it could hurt someone. In the world of Manhattan high-society parties a Vane invitation was not a piece of paper it was a ticket to the most exclusive group of people. Elena Rossi stared at the names on the i







