Chapter 9
The storm raged furiously as the utility van climbed higher into the dark Appalachian Mountains.
Tree branches whipped against the sides of the vehicle like ghostly fingers reaching through the blackness.
Chloe stared out the rain-slicked window, her brain struggling to process the earth-shattering truth about her childhood.
"Why didn't you tell me the truth when you recruited me into the agency?" Chloe asked, her voice trembling.
"Because protecting you meant keeping you completely ignorant of your father's true legacy," Sterling explained gently.
"If Ryan's group knew you possessed the master encryption key in your DNA, they would have hunted you down years ago."
"My DNA?" Chloe repeated, looking down at her trembling hands.
"The access key to the Cerberus mainframe isn't a digital drive or a paper code, Chloe," Sterling stated.
"It's a biometric sequence coded directly into your genetic structure by your father before he died."
"That's why Ryan needed you alive in that hospital room."
"He didn't want to interrogate you... he needed your blood."
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Suddenly, a massive pair of blinding high-beam headlights illuminated the interior of the van from behind.
A heavy armored truck rammed their rear bumper with terrifying force, sending the van fishtailing across the slick highway.
