The fourth floor of the Uptown Broadcast Tower was too quiet.
Veltrix crouched behind a wall-mounted server rack, his black suit blending into the shadows. Only the low hum of machines and the occasional flicker of overhead lights broke the silence.
Through his contact lens HUD, he scanned the space.
Server Room Access: Locked
Thermal Signatures Detected: 3
Primary Target: WRENZ
Threat Level: RED
"Siena," he whispered, voice barely audible. "He brought company. Not just muscle—someone's jamming the building's fire alert system. That's how they cleared it without alarms."
"Confirmed," Siena replied. "I've got local cameras in a loop. You've got about six minutes before building security starts checking the loop lag. Get in, get Wrenz, or at least find out what he's planting."
Veltrix pulled out a mirrored coin, tilted it beneath the door to the server room. Two guards—both armed, bored, chatting about donuts. Behind them: Wrenz.
The hacker was thin, draped in a gray hoodie, fingers dancing across a holo-interface projected from a strange black cube plugged into the central server terminal.
Ryan recognized the cube. Phantom Pulse Drive. Black Wraith tech.
If Wrenz finished uploading whatever was in that thing, the entire southeastern U.S. emergency broadcast network could be compromised.
No pressure.
Back in Studio 4B...
Emily Bruce smoothed her hair behind her ear and gave the camera her brightest anchor smile.
"—and if you're just joining us, the Crawfish Queen Parade is still scheduled for noon, weather permitting. And now, our five-day forecast with—"
The lights flickered.
Her co-anchor blinked.
"...Was that just me?"
Server Room – Moments Later
Veltrix moved fast. Silently. Precisely.
One guard was down before he hit the floor—nerve pinch to the neck. The second turned, mouth open.
Too late.
A stun dart embedded in his neck. He collapsed with a soft thud.
Wrenz looked up, wide-eyed.
"You."
Veltrix smiled behind his mask. "Hi."
Wrenz grabbed the cube and made a break for it, kicking over a server rack. Sparks flew. Cables snapped. Veltrix leapt over the mess, tackling Wrenz mid-run.
They crashed into the hallway, grappling. Wrenz elbowed him hard, slipped free, and hurled a flashbang over his shoulder.
BOOM.
Light. Pain. Ringing.
By the time Veltrix's vision cleared, Wrenz was gone—and so was the cube.
Studio 4B – A Minute Later
Emily stared as all teleprompters blinked out. A strange countdown appeared on the monitors.
00:59... 00:58... 00:57
Her producer yelled into her earpiece. "We've lost everything. We're being hijacked. Emily—don't panic."
Too late.
The cameras were still rolling.
And the world was about to see something they weren't supposed to.
[TO BE CONTINUED...]