Chapter 32 - Ghost Protocol Activated
Six miles above the North Atlantic, the cabin of the Gulfstream was dead silent except for the rhythmic clicking of Ethan’s fingers across the tactical keyboard. The boy’s eyes scanned rapid lines of cascading green code, tracking the global fallout of the data dump he had initiated in Zurich.
"Dad," Ethan called out, his voice sharp and urgent. "We've got an anomaly on the transponder network. Three unmarked military-spec interceptors just lifted off from an unlisted naval station in the Azores. They're vectoring straight toward our coordinates."
Daniel stepped out from the private stateroom toward the cockpit, his face tightening into a mask of lethal focus. He looked over his son’s shoulder at the tactical radar display, where three glowing amber dots were closing the distance at supersonic speed.
"They aren't wasting any time," Daniel murmured. "The shadow board is already making its move."
Elena sat handcuffed across the aisle, a faint, bitter smile touching the corners of her lips. Even bound and broken, she found a dark satisfaction in the closing net. "You think you can outrun the military-industrial complex, Daniel? The moment those jets lock onto us, you're just another unregistered bogey in restricted airspace. They won't capture us—they'll turn this bird into confetti."
Marcus unclipped a secure tactical case from the overhead bin, snapping it open to reveal a satellite-linked electronic warfare suite. He slid the device into the aircraft’s master comms hub, his thick fingers flying across the auxiliary controls.
"She's right about one thing, boss," Marcus muttered, his eyes fixed on the signal jamming monitors. "Those aren't standard interceptors. They're autonomous drone-fighters controlled by the Janus orbital relay. They don't negotiate, and they don't miss."
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Daniel looked down at his son, placing a heavy, reassuring hand on the boy’s small shoulder. "Can you spoof their targeting telemetry, Ethan? Can you make them chase a ghost?"
Ethan looked up, a fierce, brilliant spark burning in his eyes—the exact same unyielding defiance that defined his father. "Watch me."
