Chapter 24 - the counter strike
Silas and his rogue hackers greedily took the bait. As they bypassed Emma's intentionally weakened firewall, they flooded into a highly contained server mimicking the conglomerate's primary offshore bank accounts.
The arrogant oligarch smiled, thinking he had just stolen billions. Instead, the trap snapped shut with devastating, catastrophic finality. Emma’s viral counter-code didn't just lock them out; it violently surged back through their own connection.
The virus systematically destroyed Silas's incredibly expensive hardware, melting the servers from the inside out. "We have their physical location," Emma announced, her voice ringing with absolute, triumphant authority.
"They aren't in Europe," she continued, pulling up a satellite map. "They are operating out of an abandoned commercial high-rise in the downtown financial district. They are right across the street from us."
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Arthur’s jaw locked into unyielding stone. The cyber-war was officially over. The physical, bloody reckoning was about to begin. "You did perfectly, Emma," Arthur said softly. "Now, it's my turn to work. The hunt has begun."
👉 read part 25 to see the apex predator hunt.
