The pulse of the emergency lights cast an unsettling glow over the war room as Lucien stood frozen, staring at the empty screen that had once displayed the digital map. The cold voice of Drevin still echoed in his mind, mocking them with his revelation. "The network is already in motion. This is my world now."
Yuna's trembling fingers hovered over the console, unable to process the data fast enough. Her face, usually so composed, was pale, her brow furrowed in concentration. But behind her eyes was something more: fear. Raw, unfiltered fear. Lucien had never seen her like this before. This was the woman who had stared down death in the darkest corners of the world. But this? This was different.
"Yuna, what exactly did he mean by 'network'?" Lucien demanded, his voice hard, demanding answers.
She exhaled sharply, a sharp sound in the heavy silence of the room. "It's the Phoenix protocol. The one we thought we destroyed. The one that's been embedded in the infrastructure of every major global power."
Lucien's eyes narrowed, disbelief twisting in his gut. "You're telling me, Drevin has access to every government network, every corporation, every defense grid we've been tracking?"
Yuna nodded, her face grave. "Not just that. He's built on top of it. Layered his code like a virus. Every hour, it spreads. We might already be too late to stop it."
"Damn it," Lucien muttered under his breath. "Why would he wait this long to activate it?"
"Because he wanted us to think it was over. He wanted us to believe that Phoenix had been wiped from existence," Yuna said, her voice low and steady despite the terror she must have felt. "But it's still there. And now that it's active, it's going to be almost impossible to shut down."
"Shut it down?" Lucien snapped, stepping closer. "We don't even know where it's spreading, do we?"
"Not exactly," Yuna admitted. "We know it's embedded in the international systems, but we don't have full access to all of Drevin's channels. We need to get to the main source. His command center."
Lucien ran a hand through his hair, trying to clear the chaos that clouded his mind. The fight had just gone global. It wasn't about taking down Drevin's empire anymore. It was about stopping a worldwide catastrophe one that could render every government, every institution, helpless.
"I need to think. I need a moment," Lucien growled, turning away from her, pacing the room. His thoughts were a jumble of fragmented plans and half-formed strategies. They couldn't just storm Drevin's base not yet. They needed intel. They needed leverage.
"We don't have time," Yuna said, her voice piercing the fog in his mind. "If we don't stop him now, he'll activate more networks. It'll be out of our hands."
Lucien turned sharply, meeting her gaze. She was right. They were already too late.
He took a step toward her, his mind working over the options. "Okay, then. Let's go after the command center."
Yuna gave him a sharp look. "It won't be that simple. Drevin's already implemented layers of security. We'll need an inside man."
Lucien's thoughts shifted, quickly assessing their allies and enemies. He had a few old contacts, but none close enough to help him break into Drevin's fortress without triggering alarms. He needed someone who knew Drevin's mind. Someone who had been part of his inner circle.
And then it hit him.
"Gabriel."
Yuna looked up at him, the same realization hitting her. "Your brother."
Lucien's jaw tightened. "He's in custody. In the Syndicate's deepest prison. But if anyone knows how to access Drevin's systems from the inside, it's him. We'll have to get him out."
"But he's not exactly on our side," Yuna said, crossing her arms. "You're asking us to rely on someone who's as much of a liability as an asset. If Gabriel's involved, we're walking into a trap."
Lucien gritted his teeth. Yuna was right. Gabriel had always been a wildcardloyal only to his own ambitions. But in this moment, they had no choice. He was their best shot.
"I don't care," Lucien said, his voice firm. "We need him. And we need to move fast."
He turned to the team, his gaze steely. "We'll head to the Syndicate's prison in Italy. Get Gabriel out. And we'll use him to breach Drevin's system. If we wait any longer, it won't matter. The Phoenix Protocol will be unstoppable."
Yuna's expression hardened, but she didn't argue. They both knew what was at stake now.
Later that evening,
Lucien, Yuna, and a small team of trusted men gathered around the command table. The room was filled with the low hum of technology and the intensity of their mission. Every second counted now. The tension was palpable, like a storm brewing on the horizon.
"Gabriel's not going to make this easy," Yuna remarked, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the table. "He's going to want something in return. And you're going to have to make a deal with him."
Lucien's eyes narrowed as he spoke. "I know Gabriel. He'll want power, influence, maybe even my seat at the top. But we don't have time for games. I'll give him what he wants, as long as he delivers what we need. If he doesn't, I'll kill him."
Yuna's lips curled into a grim smile. "I like your thinking."
"Focus, Yuna. We're not in a position to be sentimental," Lucien said, his tone sharpening. "We're heading into the lion's den, and I need you on your game. We need to break into that prison, get Gabriel out, and make sure Drevin doesn't see us coming."
"You don't have to tell me twice," she replied. "But we'll need a plan. We can't just rush in there guns blazing. If we do, it'll be suicide."
Lucien met her gaze, his mind already racing with ideas. "I have one."
The next day,
Lucien and his team boarded a private jet to Italy, the weight of their mission pressing down on them. The air was thick with anticipation, each man in the room knowing that failure wasn't an option.
As the jet descended toward the airport in Rome, Lucien's thoughts were consumed by one question: Would Gabriel betray them?
He had no doubt that Gabriel was clever enough to play both sides. But the time for trust was long gone. If Gabriel wasn't with them, he was against them. And in a war this high-stakes, the difference could be life and death.
When the jet touched down, Lucien gave a single nod to his men. The time for decisions had passed.