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The humming sound of the Boeing 777 engine felt distant, drowned out entirely by the deafening realization pounding inside Nathan Wells’s ears. / Chapter 3 / 8

Chapter 3 - The Ambush on the TarmacThe landing gear of flight AA273 hit the runway with a heavy screech, braking hard against the wet Seattle asphalt. Rain sheeted sideways across the tarmac, catching the blinding glare of floodlights from the private hangar bay.

Nathan had arranged for a secure transport, but as the plane docked at the private gate, his stomach sank.

Instead of his regular private security detail—men he trusted with his life—three black armored SUVs sat idling outside the jet bridge. Standing beside them were men in identical dark raincoats, wearing earpieces and holding heavy tactical umbrellas.

"Mr. Wells," Melissa whispered, peering out the small window of the first-class exit door. "Those aren't your normal guys. Look at the insignia on the car doors. That's not the corporate logo... that's Vanguard Security. Julian Vance's private firm."

Nathan’s blood ran cold. Julian had anticipated his arrival down to the minute.

"Stay here," Nathan ordered Melissa, his voice ironclad. He turned to Lily, who was wrapping Emma securely in a heavy blanket while Ethan clutched her shoulder. "Lily, listen to me. Whatever happens, keep the twins close. Do not let go of that pendant."

"I'm not scared, Mr. Wells," Lily said calmly, looking up with eyes far too brave for a seven-year-old. "Your wife taught me how to fight ghosts. I'm not afraid of men in suits."

Nathan gave a tight, fierce nod. He unclipped his heavy leather trench coat, pulled down his cuffs, and stepped out of the aircraft door into the freezing Seattle downpour.

The wind whipped his hair across his face as he descended the mobile metal stairs. At the bottom, a tall, impeccably tailored man stepped out from under the largest umbrella. It was Julian Vance. A razor-thin smile stretched across his handsome, predatory face, framed by silver-streaked hair and expensive designer stubble.

"Nathan! My dear friend," Julian called out over the roar of the jet engines. "Welcome back. I see your flight had some... unexpected cargo."

Nathan didn't slow down. He marched straight up to Julian, stopping inches from his face. The rain plastered Nathan's shirt to his chest, but he felt only blistering heat.

"Where is she, Julian?" Nathan snarled, his fists clenched at his sides so hard his knuckles turned white. "Cut the corporate crap. Where is Catherine?"

Julian chuckled softly, adjusting his titanium-rimmed glasses. "Always straight to the point. No pleasantries. That’s why you’re a brilliant engineer, Nathan, but a terrible businessman. Catherine didn't 'disappear.' She made a choice. She realized that the neural-grid we built is too powerful for humanity to handle unmonitored. She tried to lock it away. From us."

"She built it to heal people, you sociopath! You turned it into a surveillance weapon!"

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My phone was still pressed against my ear. On the other end, Marcus—my m...

Detective Maria Santos tapped her fingernail against the glossy photograph spread across the metal interrogation table. The overhead fluorescent light hummed, casting a sterile, buzzing shadow over the room.

Detective Maria Santos tapped her fingernail against the glossy photogra...

Katherine did not cry when she walked into their immaculate suburban home. The silence of the empty house, which usually felt lonely on the nights Reginald claimed to be working late, now felt like a tactical advantage.

Katherine did not cry when she walked into their immaculate suburban hom...

"Semantics," Julian smiled coldly, his eyes flicking past Nathan toward the open door of the airplane, where Lily’s small face peered out from the shadows. "And look at that... she even left behind a little parting gift. Hand over the girl and the pendant, Nathan. And maybe—just maybe—I’ll let you see your wife before we wipe her consciousness clean."

Before Julian could blink, Nathan lunged.

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