Chapter 80 - The Ghost Signal
Vincent frowned, retrieving the black encrypted handset from his inner coat pocket. It was the private direct channel reserved exclusively for Mateo and Clara Vance.
He answered, bringing it to his ear. "Speak."
Mateo’s voice did not carry its usual calm efficiency. It was fast, breathless, and laced with immediate tension. "Boss. We have a catastrophic breach at the Cook County Maximum Security Correctional Center."
Vincent’s posture stiffened instantly, the warmth in his demeanor vanishing behind an impenetrable wall of granite. "What happened?"
"It’s not Evelyn Sterling," Mateo reported, static hissing in the background. "Evelyn is still in her cell. It’s Victoria."
Emma stepped closer, catching the tension in Vincent’s eyes. "What about Victoria?" she asked, her voice dropping.
"Her transport convoy to the federal facility in Pekin was ambushed twenty minutes ago on Interstate 55," Mateo continued. "A coordinated military-grade strike. Drones, EMP charges, and heavy extraction armor. The marshals didn't stand a chance. Victoria Sterling was taken alive."
"Who took her?" Vincent demanded, his voice chilling the air around them. "The syndicate was liquidated. Clara confirmed all operational accounts were seized."
"That’s the problem, Boss," Mateo replied, his breath trembling over the radio. "The assault team didn't use domestic syndicate frequencies. They were broadcasting on an encrypted channel originating from an ultra-deep maritime server in the North Atlantic."
"Give me the signature code, Mateo," Vincent ordered.
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There was a heavy pause on the other end of the line, filled with the ominous crackle of encrypted static.
"It’s the Sovereign Sovereign Consortium," Mateo whispered. "The global parent entity that funded the Sterling family forty years ago. They didn't break Victoria out to save her, Boss. They broke her out because she has the biological key to the vault they buried under Lake Michigan before the Great Chicago Fire."
