Chapter 35
The plan was audacious and required absolute precision. Rachel had previously demonstrated her brilliance in dismantling the Romanovs' financial network, but Victor Vance’s Aethelgard syndicate was vastly more sophisticated. They didn't use vulnerable offshore shell companies; they used highly secured, decentralized financial nodes scattered across global markets.
"I can't hack them directly," Rachel explained, her brow furrowed in intense concentration. "Their encryption is military-grade. But they have to communicate with their ground operatives in Chicago to coordinate the port blockades. If I can intercept those communications, I can introduce a localized virus into their logistics network."
"How do we intercept the comms?" Gabriel asked, leaning over her chair.
"I need physical access to one of their primary routing hubs in the city," Rachel pointed to a blip on the digital map. "They've set up a temporary command center in a high-rise downtown. If Bruno can get me close enough to plug a specialized transceiver into their server, I can hijack the signal."
"You are not going into a hostile command center," Gabriel objected instantly, his protective instincts roaring to life. "I’ll send a strike team."
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"A strike team will trigger their alarms and they’ll wipe the servers before we get anything," Rachel insisted, turning to face him. "I know what I'm looking for, Gabriel. I know the code. I have to go."
Gabriel looked into her fierce, determined brown eyes. She was no longer a maid needing rescue; she was his equal, a queen commanding her own battlefield. He took a deep breath, nodding slowly. "Then I go with you."
