It’s been over a week as we work tirelessly with the Oracle Collective. I’m still healing but getting my strength back. Brock contacted Gray unbeknownst to me, about the shooting. He in turn contacted the Embassy in Athens and put us in a safe house, this time in a nice area by the ocean. The rambler is white stucco with two bedrooms, a dining area, kitchen, bathroom, and large living room. The décor is simple but with some antique framed portraits of Greek mythology in bold colors. The sofa is a neutral color, light beige, with a few stone-colored throw pillows. A deep ruby red Greek style chair complements the reds in the portraits.
We have a beautiful view of the ocean and spend countless hours on the veranda analyzing data, tracking digital footprints, and following leads. The hunt for Lisa and her partner becomes an obsession, fueled by a thirst for justice and a desire to avenge my near-death experience. The Embassy now has full support, and the local police have put out alerts in the area. However, Lisa and “Bob” are probably back in the States for all we know. I don’t even know her last name if she’s married or goes by an alias.
Athena's team of hackers proves to be invaluable, their skills and resources far exceeding our expectations. They uncover hidden connections between Lisa, her partner, and a shadowy figure known only as "The Architect," a high-ranking member of the Shadows.
"How are you feeling today?" Brock says as I’m poring over the computer data Athena sent us.
I instinctively rub my chest. "Better, thanks to the pain meds. Still sore, but not as bad as a few days ago."
"That's good to hear. We'll have you back in fighting shape in no time."
I sigh, wishing I didn’t have to be in fighting shape. "If only I could say the same for our investigation. I still can't believe Lisa did this. And to think, we don't even know her last name."
"I know. It's a lot to process. But Gray pulling some strings with the embassy has helped. This safe house is a lifesaver."
"It is. The view helps clear my head, even if just for a little bit. But every second we're here, Lisa and 'Bob' could be slipping further away."
Brock squeezes my hand. "We'll find them, Trice. We have the Oracle Collective on our side, and they're making progress. Did you see what they found on 'The Architect'?"
I nod. "It's incredible. They're like digital ghosts, uncovering connections we never would have found."
"This safe house might be a temporary refuge, but it's also our war room. We'll use this information to bring down the Shadows, and we'll get justice for what happened to you."
A light tapping on the door interrupts our conversation. Brock opens it to reveal Athena, Hermes, and Hestia, their faces alight with a mixture of excitement and urgency.
"Good news?" Brock asks, stepping aside to let them in.
Athena nods, a determined glint in her eye. "We've been digging into 'The Architect's' data, and we've uncovered some interesting connections." They all look like they’ve been up all night. Athena’s hair is swept up in a messy bun; she’s wearing cargo shorts and white t-shirt. Hermes is in jeans and a black shirt, his hair, short and a dark curly, looks as if hasn’t been washed in at least a week. Hestia though looks made up, her dark black hair brushing just past her shoulders. She looks like she’s ready for office work in white slacks and a pink and black polka-dotted blouse.
Hestia takes a seat on the edge of the sofa, her voice hushed. "His real name is Alistair Kincaid. British national, ex-MI6, with a long history of covert operations and a reputation for ruthlessness."
Hermes, unable to contain his excitement, chimes in. "But that's not all. We traced his financial records, and they lead to a series of shell companies and offshore accounts. It's a complex web of deceit, but we're starting to see a pattern."
I lean forward, intrigued. "What kind of pattern?"
Athena exchanges a knowing look with her colleagues. "It seems The Architect has been funneling funds into a project called 'Operation: Pandora's Box'."
The name sends a shiver down my spine. "Pandora's Box? What does that mean?"
Hermes shrugs. "We're not sure yet. But based on the encrypted files we've decrypted; it appears to be a large-scale operation with global implications."
Brock paces the room, his mind racing. "This is big, really big. We need to find out what this operation is all about and how it connects to the Shadows' broader agenda."
I’m grateful Brock is with me as he’s able to put his legal expertise to use with his connections back in the States.
Hestia nods in agreement. "We're working on it. We've planted a few Trojan horses in their systems, hoping to intercept more information. But we need to be careful. They're already suspicious."
A heavy silence falls over the room. The stakes have just been raised. We're no longer just dealing with a shadowy organization; we're facing a potential global threat. The weight of this responsibility presses down on us, a reminder of the importance of our mission.
"We have to stop them," I say, my voice filled with determination. "We have to expose their secrets and prevent them from unleashing chaos on the world."
Brock takes my hand, his eyes filled with unwavering support. "We will, Trice. We will."
***********************************************************************************
Later that evening, amidst pizza boxes scattered around the kitchen and emptied Greek wine, we follow a trail of encrypted messages and financial transactions, tracking The Architect to a remote island in the Aegean Sea. It's a heavily fortified compound, guarded by armed mercenaries and state-of-the-art security systems.
But the Oracle Collective is undeterred. The three hackers devise a plan to infiltrate the compound, using their hacking skills to disable the security systems and creating a diversion while the rest of the team breaches the compound.
Brock and I, still recovering from our injuries, are relegated to a support role. We monitor the operation from a safe distance, our hearts pounding with each update from Athena.
The glow of the computer screen illuminates Athena's focused face as she types furiously, her fingers a blur across the keyboard. Brock and I stand behind her, our eyes glued to the monitor, hearts pounding in our chests.
The Collective Oracle has a six-member team, not included Athena, Hermes, and Hestia, who are back at the safe house with us, as they hack into their systems to allow the rest of the team access. “How's it going?” I’m hovering over her shoulder as her fingers whisk across the keyboard.
She says without turning, “We're in. Firewall breached and security systems bypassed. Hermes is feeding the cameras a loop of the last hour, so they won't see us moving around.”
The screen flickers, revealing grainy footage from inside the compound. A group of guards patrols the perimeter, oblivious to the silent intrusion.
“What about the motion sensors?” Brock says.
“We're jamming them with a low-frequency pulse. They won't detect a thing.”
The screen switches to a schematic of the compound. A red dot, marking the location of the Oracle Collective, moves steadily towards a heavily fortified building at the center.
I stand, tapping my foot nervously. “That's where they're keeping the files, right?”
Athena nods. “That's our target.”
The red dot reaches the building, pausing for a moment. Then, a series of small explosions appear on the screen, followed by the sound of alarms blaring.
“What was that?” Brock says, startled.
Turning to face us and grinning, Athena says, “Just a little distraction. We needed to draw the guards away from the main entrance.”
The screen shows the guards rushing towards the source of the explosions, leaving the main building unguarded. The red dot quickly enters the building, disappearing from view.
I don’t realize I’m holding my breath and let it out. “Are they inside?”
“Yes. Now comes the tricky part.”
Minutes tick by, each one agonizingly slow. We watch the screen, our eyes darting between the empty corridors of the building and the chaos outside.
Suddenly, the red dot reappears, now accompanied by three flashing green dots.
Hestia says softly from the sofa. “They found the files. They're downloading them now.”
Brock looking relieved says, “That's great! How long will it take?”
“A few more minutes. Then we're out of there,” Athena remarks, her fingers furiously tapping again.
We wait, the silence in the room hung heavy, a suffocating blanket stifling any attempt at conversation. Finally, the green dots disappear, and the red dot starts moving again, retracing its steps towards the exit.
“They got it. They're on their way out,” Athena says.
We watch as the red dot exits the building, the guards still preoccupied with the diversion. The team moves quickly, slipping through the shadows, their movements unseen.
“They did it.” Brock claps his hands.
Turning to us, Athena smiles. “Mission accomplished. We have the evidence we need.”
From what I could understand, among the stolen data is a list of names – the Shadows' operatives in Greece. It's a major breakthrough, a key to unraveling their network and exposing their crimes.
But our victory is short-lived. As we celebrate our success, a chilling message appears on our screens:
"You've made a grave mistake."
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