Chapter 16 - The Trap is Set
Over the next ten days, the Vanguard Cartel played right into our hands. True to my command, Thorne ensured our security patrols were visibly lax along the disputed eastern trade routes. The cartel’s operatives, emboldened by their easy early victories, began moving larger shipments, consolidating their forces, and planning a massive regional meeting to celebrate their supposed dominance over the territory.
According to our surveillance feeds, the summit was scheduled to take place inside a heavily guarded industrial fortress located just outside the city limits—a sprawling, fortified compound surrounded by concrete walls and armed guards. They believed they were untouchable behind their barricades.
They didn't know that every camera, every motion sensor, and every security terminal in that compound had been secretly rewired by our cyber division three nights prior.
On the night of the summit, I stood in the Citadel’s tactical command center, staring up at a massive digital wall display that mapped out every square inch of the Vanguard fortress in real-time. Dozens of red dots pulsed across the schematic—dozens of high-ranking cartel members gathered in one convenient, isolated location.
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Kael stood beside me, handing me a tactical vest and a matte-black sidearm. "All units are in position, boss. Perimeter is sealed. Airspace is jammed. They won't even know the network has been compromised until the blast doors lock automatically."
I strapped the vest across my chest, feeling the familiar, grounding weight of authority and retribution. "Good. Let's go remind the underworld why my name is whispered only in the dark."
