The red dot on the global satellite map didn't just blink; it pulsed like a heartbeat. Julian Thorne stared at the screen, his tactical mind instantly shifting from defense to a terrifying, absolute offense. The Old Man had pushed all his chips onto the table, leaving a microscopic digital trail leading straight to the Vanguard black site in the Swiss Alps. And sitting in that frozen fortress was the backup drive containing Maya's soul. "Marcus," Julian barked, spinning away from the terminal. "The tower is now under Protocol Siege. No one goes in, no one goes out. You have lethal authority over every square inch of this building until I return."Marcus, currently getting his ribs taped by a field medic, simply nodded grimly. "The children will not be touched, sir. I swear it on my life.""I know," Julian said, his voice a low, heavy anchor. He turned to Maya. She was still wearing his oversized tactical shirt, her bare feet bandaged, looking incredibly small but radiating the letha
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