Chapter 129
Chapter 129
Herod stared at his computer screen, forehead creased with confusion. The data from Walsh’s latest information drop sat before him, schematics of the Phoenix Grid’s western junction, maintenance logs, security protocols, power flow diagrams. Everything they would need to exploit the supposed vulnerability during the launch ceremony.
It looked perfect. Too perfect.
He zoomed in on a section of the access codes, his suspicion growing with each passing second. He had spent decades in the technology sector before turning his attention to Victoria Kane. He knew systems architecture like others knew their childhood homes. And something about these files felt wrong.
“What’s the matter?” Rose asked, entering his home office with a cup of coffee. Her movements were jagged, tense, like a loaded spring ready to snap. Her obsession with Camille’s engagement had only worsened over the past two days.
“I’m not sure yet,” Herod murmured, not looking up from the screen. He pulled up another file, comparing the two side by side. “Something about Walsh’s information doesn’t add up.”
Rose set the coffee down harder than necessary, liquid sloshing over the rim. “What do you mean, doesn’t add up? We paid him enough, it better be accurate.”
“That’s just it,” Herod said, pointing to a sequence of code. “It’s too perfect. Look here, the vulnerability is exactly where we would want it to be. The access points are clearly marked. The security protocols have an obvious bypass method.”
“And that’s… bad?” Rose’s voice held a dangerous edge. Her patience had worn thin since learning of Camille’s engagement.
Herod leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. “In my experience, real system vulnerabilities are never this convenient. They’re buried in complex code, hidden behind layers of security, difficult to identify without specialized knowledge.”
He clicked through several more files, his unease growing stronger. “This looks like someone gift–wrapped a way into the Grid and handed it to us. That never happens by accident.”
Rose’s hand clenched around the coffee mug. “Are you saying we’ve been played?”
“I’m saying it’s possible.” Herod opened an encrypted folder on his hard drive, pulling up older files, the original Grid schematics they had obtained months ago, before Walsh’s employment. He began comparing the two sets of data, looking for inconsistencies.
Minutes passed in tense silence. Rose paced behind him, her reflection visible in the window across from his desk. With each circuit of the room, her movements grew more agitated.
“There,” Herod finally said, pointing to the screen. “The power relay configuration in the original schematics doesn’t match what Walsh provided. According to his information, there’s a bypass circuit that could be overloaded during peak usage, creating a cascade failure.”
He pulled up the original diagram. “But in the actual design, that bypass doesn’t exist. It’s been added to the files Walsh gave us.”
The coffee mug shattered against the wall, making Herod flinch. Rose stood with her arm still extended from the throw, her face contorted with rage.
“They know,” she hissed. “They’ve been feeding us false information.”
Herod nodded grimly. “Not just false information. Targeted misinformation. They identified Walsh as our inside man and used him to feed us exactly what they wanted us to see.”
He continued searching through the files, looking for further evidence. “The question is when they figured it out. How long have they been playing us?”
“Does it matter?” Rose snapped. “Our plan is ruined. If we try to exploit this fake vulnerability during the launch ceremony, we’ll walk straight into a trap.”
Herod didn’t answer immediately. His fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard, running a specialized scanning program over Walsh’s files. The program was designed to detect hidden code, embedded tracking software, digital fingerprin anything that might reveal the true nature of the data.
The scan completed. Results appeared on screen. Herod’s blood ran cold.
“They’ve embedded trackers in these files,” he s activated.”
Successfully unlocked!es. The moment we opened them, they
“Meaning what, exactly?” Rose’s voice had dropped to a dangerous whisper.
“Meaning they know we have this information. They know we’ve looked at it. And they’re tracking our location right now.”
He began shutting down systems, disconnecting from networks. “We need to move. This place is compromised.”
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Chapter 129
Rose didn’t move, her body rigid with fury. “That bitch,” she breathed. “She’s been two steps ahead of us this whole time.”
“Not the whole time,” Herod corrected, still working to secure his systems. “Just since they identified Walsh. The question is what else they know.”
He opened a secure line to Walsh’s phone. The call went straight to voicemail. He tried again with the same result.
“Walsh isn’t answering,” he reported. “Either they’ve already gotten to him, or he’s realized something’s wrong and is running.”
Rose slammed her palms on his desk, leaning over to stare directly into his eyes. x this, Herod. You promised me Camille s destruction. You promised me she would pay for everything she took from me.”
The desperation in her voice was matched only by the dangerous glearn in her eyes. Herod recognized the look, the same one she’d worn when she’d learned of Camille’s engagement. Rose was reaching her breaking point.
“We need to be smart about this,” he said carefully. “They’re expecting us to target the western junction. We need a new approach, something they won’t anticipate.”
“Like what?” Rose demanded.
Herod remained silent for a moment, weighing options. Finally, he stood, moving to a wall safe concealed behind a painting. He entered the combination and retrieved a small thumb drive.
“This contains plans for the main power relay station that controls the entire Grid,” he explained. “Not just the junction points, but the central hub itself. We obtained this months ago, before Walsh, through different channels.”
He plugged the drive into his computer, careful to use a non–networked machine. “If these schematics are still accurate, there’s a way to access the central control systems during the launch ceremony. Not through the Grid itself, but through the venue’s own infrastructure.”
Rose moved closer, her fury temporarily contained by interest. “Explain.”
“The launch ceremony is being held at Kane Industries headquarters. The building’s original power systems have been integrated with the Grid as part of the demonstration. There’s a maintenance access point in the basement that connects directly to the Grid’s central controls.”
He pulled up a detailed blueprint of the Kane building. “It wouldn’t give us control of the Grid itself, but it would allow us to disrupt the launch ceremony spectacularly. Blackouts, system failures, possibly even minor explosions from power surges.” “Not enough,” Rose said flatly. “I don’t want to just embarrass Camille. I want to destroy her. Completely.”
Herod studied her face, measuring his next words carefully. “Then we combine approaches. The ceremony disruption provides a distraction. In the chaos, we implement… more direct measures.”
The meaning hung between them, unspoken but clear. Rose’s eyes lit with dark anticipation.
“Yes,” she whispered. “That’s exactly what we need.”
Herod felt a chill at her enthusiasm for what he was suggesting. He had always meant to stop short of actual violence, to draw the line at financial and professional ruin. But Rose had moved beyond such boundaries.
“It will require precise timing,” he cautioned. “And significant risk.”
“I don’t care about risk,” Rose replied. “I only care about results.”
Herod’s computer emitted a soft beep. A warning appeared on screen, unexpected network activity detected. Someone was attempting to breach his security remotely.
“They’re trying to access our systems,” he said, quickly initiating countermeasures. “The trackers must have opened a back door.”
His fingers moved rapidly, shutting down connections, erecting firewalls, wiping temporary files. “We need to go. Now. Bring only what’s essential.”
Rose didn’t argue, moving immediately to gather her things. Her single–minded focus had shifted from rage to action, a cold determination replacing the hot fury of moments before.
Herod finished securing his system, then removed a small device from his desk drawer. He activated it with a st commands.
“What is that?” Rose asked, returning with a small bag.
of
“Signal jammer,” he explained. “It will disrupt any tracking devices within fifty feet. Should give us enough time to get clear.” They moved quickly through the penthouse, taking only what couldn’t be replaced. Herod activated a second security protocol with his phone, within hours, his financial assets would move through a series of offshore accounts, becoming virtually untraceable.
At the private elevator, Herod paused. “Once we leave, we can’t come back. They’ll have this place under surveillance.”
Chapter 129
Rose didn’t hesitate. “I don’t care about things. I only care about making Camille pay.”
The elevator doors closed behind them. As they descended, Herod studied Rose’s profile. Her face had taken on a strange calm, the eye of a hurricane. He recognized the expression, someone who had moved beyond desperate to dangerous. “We have two days until the launch ceremony,” he said. “We’ll need to move quickly to implement the new plan
Rose nodded, her gaze fixed on the descending floor numbers. “Two days. After eighteen months of waiting, it seems fitting. Full circle.”
The elevator reached the basement garage. Herod led the way to a car he kept registered under a different name, one not connected to any of his known identities.
As they drove away from the building, through a service exit to avoid the main entrance, Herod glanced in the rearview mirror. No signs of pursuit yet, but they wouldn’t be far behind. Camille and Victoria would have their best people hunting them now.
“Where are we going?” Rose asked, breaking the silence.
“Somewhere they won’t think to look,” Herod replied. “A property not connected to either of us.”
Rose nodded, accepting his vague answer without further questions. Her mind seemed elsewhere, likely already at the launch ceremony, imagining the chaos they would create.
Herod navigated through the city streets, taking a circuitous route to ensure they weren’t followed. His mind raced through contingencies, assessing risks, calculating odds. The rational part of him recognized that they should cut their losses, separate, disappear. The smarter play would be to walk away now, before they crossed lines that couldn’t be uncrossed. But one look at Rose’s face told him that wasn’t an option. And despite everything, despite the danger and the increasing likelihood of failure, he couldn’t bring himself to abandon her. Not when they were so close to the culmination of their shared goal.
Victoria Kane had destroyed his family. Camille had risen from that destruction to become Victoria’s heir, her chosen successor. They deserved whatever came next.
Even if it meant crossing lines he had never intended to cross.
“We’ll need supplies,” he said, breaking the silence. “Equipment for the new plan.”
Rose turned to him, something almost like a smile playing at her lips. “I already have everything we need.” The cold determination in her voice sent another chill through him.
He wondered, not for the first time, exactly what he had unleashed by partnering with Rose Lewis. And whether either of them would survive what came next.
