Chapter 3 - THE SHATTERED ILLUSION
The grandfather clock in the hallway ticked away the seconds with agonizing slowness, sounding like a ticking bomb.
Ethan set Lily down gently behind the heavy oak desk, ensuring she was completely out of harm's way.
"Stay right here and don't make a sound, Lily," Ethan instructed, his tone firm yet tender.
He walked toward Eldridge, trapping her against the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf with an imposing, unyielding stance.
"Who else knows about this drive?" Ethan demanded, his blond hair ruffled from the chaotic scuffle.
"As of twenty minutes ago, the automated ping alerted the mainframe in Langley," Eldridge whispered, her eyes wide with terror. "They're already tracking our IP address."
A sharp, metallic beep echoed from Ethan's secure laptop resting near the framed US flag on the desk.
Ethan sprinted across the room, slamming the laptop lid open to inspect the encrypted firewall logs.
Lines of crimson text scrolled rapidly across the screen, indicating an incoming override command originating from a federal server in Virginia.
"We have less than ten minutes before local law enforcement and federal assets arrive at our front door," Ethan calculated grimly.
May you like
Eldridge slowly slid down the bookshelf until she sat on the Persian rug, her hands shaking uncontrollably.
"They won't just arrest us, Ethan," Eldridge warned bitterly. "Protocol 9 mandates complete sanitization of the property and everyone inside."
