Chapter 587
Chapter 587:
“Who p>
“Felix just traced the authorization codes,” Alistair said. “It was Parker Cross p>
Skye frowned, trying to place the name. “Parker Cross? The Director of Overseas Operations? The one stationed in Port Valor p>
“Yes,” Alistair said grimly. “The man we trusted to run our most lawless division because his background check was spotless. Orphaned, Ivy League, clean record. Except Felix just dug deeper into the birth records now that the betrayal is active. His legal name isn’t Cross. Cross was his mother’s maiden name p>
Alistair looked at her. “His father’s name was Hayes p>
Skye felt the blood drain from her face. “Hayes? As in Victoria Hayes p>
“Her illegitimate half-brother,” Alistair confirmed. “The family never acknowledged him, which is why he didn’t show up on the standard vetting. He’s been a sleeper agent inside my company for six months, waiting for the right moment. And he just found it p>
“Why now?” Skye asked, pacing. “Lucian is in custody. Beatrice is gone. Why strike when the war is supposed to be over p>
“Because he’s not working alone.” Alistair walked to the closet and pulled out a fresh shirt. “We just got a ping from the state penitentiary transport grid. There was an ‘accident’ on the I-95 corridor involving a prisoner transfer vehicle p>
Skye felt a phantom pain in her chest, the memory of poison. “Lucian p>
“And Victoria,” Alistair said, buttoning the shirt with efficient precision. “They were being moved to a federal supermax. The transport was hit. They’re gone p>
Parker planned this, Skye realized, horror dawning. “He didn’t just steal money. He used his remote access to loop the security feeds for the transport route. He blinded the convoy so they could be ambushed. He’s been building a golden parachute for the whole family p>
Felix burst into the room again, no longer holding a basket but a tablet. “Boss, we have a hit on Parker. He’s at the private airfield. Flight plan filed for a non-extradition zone p>
“Port Valor,” Skye and Alistair said in unison.
It was a legendary shithole—a city-state in Southeast Asia that operated outside the jurisdiction of international law. It was a haven for pirates, warlords, and disgraced tycoons. And it was where the Thorne family had a massive, largely autonomous mining division—the very division Parker had been running.
“If he gets to Port Valor with Lucian and Victoria,” Alistair said, grabbing his holster, “they will have a fortress. They will have my money, my infrastructure, and a private army p>
𝖡𝗋𝗈𝗐𝘀e 𝗯𝗒 𝗰𝖺𝘁𝗲𝗀о𝘳𝘺 о𝘯 𝗯𝗲𝗅n𝗼𝗏elѕ.𝖼𝘰𝗆
“He’s taking off in twenty minutes,” Felix said.
“Get the car,” Alistair ordered.
He turned to Skye. “Stay here. Lock the estate down p>
Skye was already pulling on a pair of jeans. She grabbed her laptop bag. “Don’t be an idiot, Alistair. You can shoot people, but Parker isn’t just a suit. He’s the one who built the digital infrastructure in Port Valor. He knows the backdoors because he installed them. You need the Oracle to counter him. I’m coming p>
Alistair looked at her. He saw the fire in her eyes—the same fire that had burned down her enemies in the last timeline.
“Fine,” he said. “But Goldie stays with the housekeeper p>
The speedometer on the armored Mercedes hit 140 miles per hour. The world outside was a blur of gray asphalt and green trees, smeared into motion lines by the velocity.
Skye sat in the passenger seat, her laptop balanced on her knees. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, a blur of motion that matched the car’s speed. The screen reflected in her eyes—lines of code cascading like green rain.