Chapter 3 - The Digital Echo
The shrill chirp of a pocket-sized scrambler shattered the heavy afternoon quiet.
I was awake instantly, my hand sliding under the pillow toward the compact sidearm Mason had left within reach. Gabriel was already on his feet, moving with predatory speed toward the bedside table where Mason's tactical receiver blinked with a harsh red light.
"Report," Gabriel snapped into the receiver, pressing the earpiece tight against his head.
Mason's voice came through broken by static. "Boss, we've got a problem. Someone just pinged our secure frequency using an old Kane Foundation encryption key. They're probing the firewall."
"Trace it," Gabriel ordered, his eyes darting toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. "Find out if it's local or routed through a proxy."
"It's local," Mason replied, his breathing heavy over the comms. "Three blocks away, coming from the commercial rooftop across the avenue. They're using a directional dish. They know roughly where we are."
I pushed the white linens aside and swung my legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the immediate protest of my bruised ribs. Eli stirred, letting out a soft whimper before settling back as I murmured a low, rhythmic sound against his hair.
"We've been compromised," I said, reaching for my boots. "They didn't just trace the convoy; they tracked the secondary transponder I left in the decoy vehicle."
Gabriel turned from the window, his face set in stone. "How long before they narrow the coordinates down to this specific floor?"
"Minutes," Mason's voice crackled through the speaker. "Maybe less if they have high-gain thermal imaging. They're scanning windows on the upper thirty floors right now."
"Pack whatever we can carry," Gabriel instructed crisply. "We're moving to the subterranean garage. The armored transport is fueled and ready."
"Negative on the garage," I countered, standing up and testing my weight against the hardwood floor. A wave of dizziness washed over me, but I forced it down, locking my knees. "If they're scanning the building, they're watching the subterranean exits too. A heavy armored SUV rolling out of the basement is a neon sign."
Gabriel looked at me, a flicker of fierce respect crossing his features. "Then what's your plan, Claire?"
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"We go up, not down," I said, reaching for the suit jacket draped over the chair and shrugging it on over my shirt to conceal the holster. "Maintenance catwalk to the adjacent commercial tower. It's connected by a utility bridge. They'll be watching the street level, not the roof."
Gabriel didn't hesitate for a second. He nodded once, pulled a heavy tactical vest from the closet, and tossed it to Mason via the intercom. "Do it. Move now."
