Chapter 32 - Operation Clean SweepWithin forty-eight hours, the federal logistics office in Boston was transformed into a high-security tactical command center.
Arthur Sterling stood over a large digital tactical display alongside Roman and a team of federal cyber-investigators. On the main monitor, a complex map of New England shipping lanes and corporate subsidiaries flashed with blinking red warning lights.
"Rostov’s primary data hub is housed inside an abandoned refrigeration warehouse down at the Boston Docks," Sterling explained, tapping the screen. "Heavy security, private mercenaries, and an encrypted server rack that automatically wipes itself if local power is disrupted."
Roman crossed his arms, studying the floor plan. "A standard tactical assault won't work. By the time our guys breach the front gate, Rostov's tech team will have hit the kill switch, and we'll lose every shred of evidence tying him to the Atlas Group."
"Which is why we aren't doing a standard assault," a calm, collected voice echoed from the doorway.
All heads turned.
Celeste walked into the command center, wearing a sharp charcoal blazer, her dark hair pulled back neatly. She carried a sleek, customized titanium briefcase. She looked every bit like the corporate titan and criminal mastermind who had once ruled the boardroom shadows.
"Mrs. Vascari," Sterling greeted her respectfully. "Do you have a better solution?"
"Rostov thinks his firewall is impenetrable because he bought the encryption keys from a black-market broker in Zurich," Celeste said, walking over to the main console and plugging her titanium briefcase directly into the federal server grid. "What he doesn't know is that I wrote those encryption keys seven years ago. There’s a backdoor built into the source code."
She tapped a sequence of keys on her portable console.
"If I route a high-voltage logic bomb through the federal grid directly into his primary node," Celeste continued calmly, "I can lock his security team out of their own servers, freeze their bank accounts across twelve offshore jurisdictions, and download his entire client manifest in under ninety seconds."
"And if the logic bomb fails?" a nervous cyber-analyst asked.
May you like
Celeste didn't even look up from her screen. "It won't."
Roman walked up behind her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder, feeling the absolute confidence radiating from her. "And once she locks them out?" Roman asked Sterling. "That’s my cue."
