Suffocate In Spirit - Shadows of the Night 4

Chapter 13

Hi!

What a great weekend. I don't know if it's only me, but time is flying like crazy right now, and I can't really believe it's the end of April. Oh, and I definitely can't believe we're into chapter 13 already!! Anyway, hope you're all doing well, and that you'll enjoy this one. It was fun writing it :-) Let me know what you're thinking.

Lara

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Chapter 13

My eyes went to Kenneth, then back to Andy.

"Would it have been possible for someone from the outside to hack into the system and access video surveillance and who went and came?" Andy said. "The kind of information the Raven needed?"

Kenneth shook his head. "No. Not that I know of. I could only pull it off because I know this system. I picked up some things while working in the IT unit. I don't think anyone from outside would have been able to do it. Not over such a long time, and definitely not without being detected."

Andy's eyes went to me. "That confirms our theory. Someone infiltrated the Circle."

I straightened, pushed myself away from the back of the chair. We needed more than this. There had to be more than this.

"Anything else?"

Kenneth shoved his glasses up his nose, glancing back at the screens. "It will take some time to go through all of the data. Some of the information is still encrypted, and we didn't get all of it before I had to get my ass out of the system." He looked back at me. "I mean, before I had to pull out."

"I'm part of the Circle, remember? And I teamed up with that one before," I said, pointing at Andy. "I'm used to swearing."

My smile faded as soon as I got a look of Andy's face. "What?"

He turned back to one of the screens. Something about the way his shoulders tensed told me something was wrong.

"The Circle's security apparatus is built up of five rings of security," Andy said, staring at the screen. "The three outer ones are made up of conventional security measures combined with some of the most intricate spells this world has seen. Even if unauthorized persons make it through to the second one, it stops there. Access to the two innermost is restricted, even to certain personnel working in the headquarters. It's in the first and innermost ring where they control the video surveillance and alarm systems throughout the whole building." He turned to face us again. "There are seven shape shifters in the security apparatus that have all access codes and could technically enter the first ring without anyone noticing. Two out of the seven shape shifters are members of the Fade Pack. They can enter into the system and have direct access to all the security cameras, right?" Andy said.

Kenneth nodded. "That's right."

Andy nodded. "Good. We'll have a look at them first."

I stared at the screen behind him unseeingly. The fact that Marrok wanted the information we got from the half-witches was suspicious, which was the reason why we were now focusing on the shape shifters first. Still... I remembered Alexander's words. They are what one would call sworn enemies. Would Marrok consider an alliance with the half-witches, but refuse to work together with the Raven? And if yes, what could the half-witches give to him in return? They weren't powerful. It didn't make any sense.

Andy nudged my arm. "Did you bring the information we got from the half witches?"

I nodded slowly, still half in thought.