Chapter 9 - The Fourteen
Aaron locked down every executive exit.
Fourteen employees had disappeared from the internal network.
Three vice presidents.
Two attorneys.
Four analysts.
One security supervisor.
Two accounting directors.
One government relations officer.
And a board liaison named Peter Shaw.
“Find them.”
Elena ordered.
Aaron shook his head.
“Half have already left the building.”
“Then find the half who haven’t.”
Security teams spread through headquarters.
Elena opened Helix.
A list filled the screen.
Not fourteen names.
One hundred and eighty-seven.
Graham stared.
“This goes back twenty-five years.”
Elena scrolled.
Some names were marked inactive.
Some deceased.
Some retired.
Others currently employed across Voss subsidiaries around the world.
“This isn’t infiltration.”
Graham whispered.
“It’s colonization.”
Margaret nodded.
“Evelyn knew.”
“And she left them here?”
“She couldn’t remove everyone at once.”
“Why not?”
“Because she didn’t know who controlled the network.”
Elena searched Damian’s name.
DAMIAN CROSS — ASSET CLASS B.
“Asset.”
She said quietly.
“He wasn’t even leadership.”
Margaret leaned closer.
“Search Decker.”
Charles Decker appeared.
ASSET CLASS A.
Elena’s eyes narrowed.
“What’s the difference?”
“Class B follows orders.”
Margaret swallowed.
“Class A recruits.”
Aaron’s voice came over the radio.
“We found Shaw.”
“Where?”
“Server level.”
“What’s he doing?”
“Trying to destroy backup hardware.”
Elena headed for the elevator.
Graham caught her arm.
“You’re not going down there.”
She looked at his hand.
He released her.
“Sorry.”
“You should be.”
“Elena, security can handle it.”
“This is my company.”
“And you’re the primary target.”
Margaret stepped forward.
“He’s right.”
Elena looked at both of them.
“My entire life, people have told me to stay outside rooms while men decided what happened inside them.”
She pressed the elevator button.
“I’m done with that.”
Aaron met her on the server level.
Peter Shaw was on his knees with his hands restrained behind him.
Smoke drifted from a damaged control panel.
A security officer held a fire extinguisher.
Elena stopped in front of Shaw.
“You’ve worked here sixteen years.”
He smiled.
“Seventeen.”
“You knew my mother.”
“Very well.”
“Did you help kill her?”
His smile disappeared.
“No.”
“Do you know who did?”
“Yes.”
Margaret inhaled sharply.
Elena crouched slightly so she was level with him.
“Name.”
Shaw shook his head.
“You don’t understand how this works.”
“I’m learning quickly.”
“If I tell you, my family dies.”
Elena’s face remained calm.
“If you don’t tell me, you go to prison.”
“I prefer prison.”
That answer chilled her.
He genuinely did.
Elena stood.
“Take him.”
As security lifted Shaw, he suddenly looked toward her.
“Elena.”
She stopped.
“Your mother made one mistake.”
“What?”
“She thought Meridian wanted Voss Global.”
He smiled sadly.
“We never wanted the company.”
Elena stared at him.
“Then what did you want?”
Shaw looked directly into her eyes.
May you like
“You.”
Before anyone could react, the lights went out.
