Chapter 7 - The Ghost in the Machine
Ten minutes later, Marcus returned to the study, carrying a ruggedized laptop displaying the internal network traffic of the Hale estate. His expression was grim, drained of color.
“You were right, Boss,” Marcus admitted, setting the laptop down on the edge of my desk. “The breach didn't happen in your office. Someone tapped directly into the master fiber-optic trunk line routed through the basement utility closet.”
I leaned over the screen, watching the scrolling lines of code and IP routing addresses. “Who has access to the utility closet?”
“Only maintenance staff... and the security contractors we hired three months ago to upgrade the perimeter cameras,” Marcus said, his teeth clicking together. “Contractors vetted by the Salvatore family’s front corporation.”
Mother exhaled a long, shaky breath from her wheelchair. “They aren't just trying to squeeze our docks, Bennett. They’re trying to hollow us out from the inside while we’re distracted by my illness.”
May you like
I felt a cold, calculated fury settle over my chest. The Salvatore family thought they could play chess with a man who only understood war.
“Marcus,” I said softly, staring at the screen. “Pull every file on those security contractors. Find out where they live, who pays their offshore retainers, and who let them onto my property.”
