They didn't wait to admire their handiwork. They dismantled the lance as quickly as their frozen, exhausted bodies would allow and fled the valley. By the time the sun rose, they were across the border.
The news broke later that day: a massive, unexplained landslide had destroyed the exclusive Von Alp ski resort in Switzerland. Dozens were feared dead. Geologists were baffled.
Mo Chen knew the truth. The Kraken's brain was buried under a million tons of rock.
In a safe house in Italy, she plugged the hard drive into a secure laptop. The data was corrupted, fragmented by the emergency shutdown and the destruction. But it was enough.
She found client lists, implicating governments and rival corporations. She found assassination orders, blackmail files, and records of illegal arms deals. And she found the file on Phoenix Holdings.
It contained everything: her identity, her connection to the Yun-Mo family, the location of her Nevada hangar, and a standing order for her "neutralization with extreme prejudice." The order was signed by the CEO of Kraken, a man named Marius Voss.
She also found the proof of Isolde's betrayal. Communiques between Kraken and the consortium, discussing the "useful idiot" who was attacking Kraken assets and how to lure her into a final, fatal confrontation.
The victory was complete, but it tasted like ash. She had destroyed a monster, but she had been a pawn in a larger game between even bigger monsters.