Chapter 2: The Crimson CardThe elevator to the top floor of Sterling Plaza went up really fast. The quiet sound of the motor was not enough to calm the voices coming through Logan's earpiece."All units lock everything down. Check the stairs. No one leaves this building."Logan just stood there calm and quiet in the corner of the elevator. His hands were behind his back. The two guards with him were really scared and sweaty. They were checking their guns with their hands. Logan's heart was beating normally.The red symbol on Silas Sterling's door was not put there by someone who broke in. Logan put it there himself twelve minutes ago when he was walking around the building.It was like a card that said "I was here". It was a way to make the person in charge scared before you take down the system.The elevator stopped.The doors opened to a fancy lobby. The floor was white and shiny. There was a really expensive light fixture hanging from the ceiling.. Right now it did not look fancy

Chapter 4: The Iron HorizonThe Black Watch Huntsmen did not march; they deployed like a plague.By 0400 hours the main roads of Oakhaven Metro were choked with matte- armored personnel carriers. Soldiers in tech ballistic gear, their faces concealed behind reinforced obsidian visors, established heavily armed checkpoints every three blocks. The Aegis Directorate had officially declared a city- martial curfew citing a "high-level terrorist threat to critical infrastructure."In reality Silas Sterling was simply using the state's power to protect his wealth.Inside the established underground command center in the industrial sector the air hummed with the steady drone of cooling fans from banks of high-powered servers. Marcus was a blur of motion, his fingers flying across three split-screen monitors."They've locked down the harbor, the financial district and the transit hubs " Marcus reported, not looking up as Logan stepped into the room carrying two cups of coffee. "Silas isn't tak

Chapter 6: The Golden VaultThe Oakhaven Central Bank stood like a stone tomb in the dark. It was not connected to the city grid so it was lit up by its emergency lights. These lights were red and flickered, making the place look spooky.Outside two big trucks with armor were. Running. They were making a lot of noise at night. Then two dozen men with big guns were standing guard. They were hired by Silas Sterling from his security team. They were watching the streets with their guns ready.Inside the bank the big lobby was filled with fear. Director Evelyn Thorne was sitting on the floor. Her hands were tied behind her back with plastic ties. Her clothes were. She had a bruise on her face.. She was still looking fierce, staring at the man walking back and forth in front of the big vault doors.Silas Sterling had taken off his military jacket. He was sweating a lot. His white shirt was all wet. He was watching his son, Julian putting digital bonds into aluminum boxes. Next to them ther

Chapter 8: The Sky Over OakhavenThe stratosphere above Oakhaven Metro was a very quiet space where the earth's curve met the black emptiness of space. But that quiet was broken as a wedge-shaped shape tore through the upper atmosphere, its hull glowing a dull angry orange because of friction.The Goliath The flagship of the First Warden Fleet.Inside the bridge of the orbital dreadnought the air was fresh and smelled a bit of ionized radiation and high-grade coolant. Rows of officers sat behind curved glass consoles, their faces lit by the green glow of active targeting vectors. Standing at the central observation deck his hands clasped behind his back was Lord Caleb.Caleb was a man made of ivory and political ambition. His white and gold uniform was perfect without any dirt from the battlefield. His eyes had a scary emptiness, like a man who saw people as just numbers."What's the status on the targeting grid? " Caleb commanded, his voice smooth and almost musical."The kinetic str