The morning was deceptively calm. Sunlight filtered through the estate’s high windows, illuminating polished floors and the muted hum of activity. It was a quiet routine, but Elias knew better than to trust appearances. Legacy’s silence was rarely innocent, and every still moment was a countdown to the next move.He walked through the operations center, noting the subtle tension in Mara’s shoulders, the way Rowan’s eyes darted between monitors, scanning every signal twice. Ethan was already coordinating communications with their field assets, voice low and precise, every instruction measured. Elias allowed himself a brief nod to acknowledge the team. They had performed flawlessly during the night’s extraction, but the game was far from over.“We need to assess the aftermath,” Elias said, voice calm but commanding. “Not just the hostages, not just Blackline, but everything in between. What did they lose, what did we gain, and how vulnerable are we now?”Rowan pulled up the detailed map

Elias sat in the operations room, the soft hum of the estate’s systems surrounding him. Outside, the city moved obliviously, unaware of the invisible war unfolding above it. His eyes scanned the monitors, noting every anomaly, every subtle shift in Legacy’s behavior. Every signal they emitted, intentional or not, was data—information that could be leveraged.Mara leaned against the console, arms crossed. “They’re restless,” she said. “Even with the decoys and the diversions, you can feel it. They’re testing, probing. Waiting for a misstep.”Elias nodded without looking up. “And that’s exactly what we want. Their probing reveals priorities, weaknesses, and predictable reactions. Every move they make against us now strengthens our strategy.”Rowan, standing by a cluster of screens, spoke next. “Field units are reporting unusual chatter. Some of their operatives are questioning internal directives. There’s tension between central command and peripheral units.”Ethan added, “They’re tryin

The first thing Elias noticed was the silence.Not the controlled quiet of a secured room or the deliberate calm of a plan unfolding, but the wrong kind of silence. No probing signals. No aggressive pings. No background noise from Legacy’s usual surveillance nets. It was as if someone had pulled the plug on an entire section of the board.Elias stood by the window, eyes narrowed, watching the city lights flicker below. Silence, in his experience, never meant retreat. It meant preparation.“Mara,” he said without turning. “How long have they been dark?”“Sixteen minutes,” she replied. “That’s not normal. Even when they pull back, there’s always residual traffic.”Rowan swiveled his chair. “I’ve rerun the diagnostics three times. It’s not us. They shut it down deliberately.”Elias finally turned, his expression hardening. “They’re changing tactics.”Ethan frowned. “You think they’re going physical?”“No,” Elias said. “Not yet. This isn’t rage. This is calculation.”He walked toward the

The city was quieter than usual, the kind of quiet that made every distant sound feel amplified. Elias drove through the deserted streets, his eyes scanning every corner, every alleyway. Legacy had gone dark, but he knew better than to believe in absolute silence. They were regrouping, planning, waiting for the right moment to strike. And he intended to be ready.Mara’s voice came through the comms, calm but alert. “You’re taking a calculated risk out there. Are you sure about this route?”Elias didn’t answer immediately. He let the hum of the tires on asphalt fill the moment before responding. “Every risk has a pattern, Mara. And I’ve mapped this one from every possible angle. Legacy thinks they’re invisible. They’re not.”Rowan’s voice followed, more insistent this time. “We’ve been monitoring signal traffic. It’s irregular. Whoever’s controlling them now is improvising. That’s dangerous—they might try something unexpected.”Ethan added, tense. “And the southern teams? They’re still

The first thing Elias noticed as he stepped into the quieter streets was the shift in the city’s rhythm. Normally, the night had a pulse of ordinary life—distant horns, footsteps echoing on asphalt, the occasional shout—but tonight, the air was tense, almost electric, as if the city itself held its breath. Every shadow seemed deliberate, every sound amplified. Legacy’s operatives were already feeling the ripple effects of the chaos he had created, and he knew it.Mara’s voice came softly through his earpiece. “You’ve destabilized them, but they’ll recover quickly if we don’t act fast. Are you in position?”Elias glanced at the surrounding buildings, noting the angles, the possible vantage points. “I’m where they won’t expect me, where they can’t see me. And that’s exactly how this works. They think the chaos is internal. They don’t realize someone outside the loop is pulling every string.”Rowan’s tone was sharper, edged with concern. “We’ve tracked irregular signals from their commun