Cyber Cryptic

Lance

The moment I receive the text from Jace-"Castillo needed at HQ ASAP"-I know I have to leave. I put on a polite smile, excusing myself from Grace and her mom. The cool evening air hits me as I step outside, but my mind is already racing ahead. Climbing into my car, I drive off towards HQ, urgency pushing me forward.

As I pull into the parking lot of the nondescript building that houses our headquarters, I can't shake the unease from my encounter with Grace. I push the thought aside and stride into the building, my professional demeanor slipping into place like a well-worn glove.

The fluorescent lights inside the building are harsh, casting a sterile glow over everything. I make my way to the briefing room, where a few agents are already gathered. Among them is Agent David Reed, my rival and one of the few people who knows the full extent of my undercover work. Reed leans against the wall, arms crossed and an unmistakable scowl on his face.

"Lance," Reed greets with a clipped tone as I enter. "Nice of you to join us."

I force a smile. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, Reed."

Reed's scowl deepens, but before he can retort, the room's projector flickers to life, displaying a series of documents and photographs on the screen. The head of the operation, Special Agent Jenkins, steps to the front, calling the room to order.

"Alright, everyone, let's get started. We have new intel from the IRS regarding the funds Mark Fields managed to siphon before his death."

I take a seat, my focus sharpening as Jenkins continues. "The IRS discovered that there was a huge drop in the trading price of Bitcoin. As they investigated, they noticed that all the funds being lost were transferred to Mark Fields' account and later disappeared. They believe he discovered a security vulnerability that he later exploited and transferred significant sums of money into his wallet. These funds were then moved to various untraceable accounts."

Reed cuts in, his voice carrying a note of impatience. "What's more concerning is how this money was funneled. Fields' widow, Grace, has multiple cryptocurrency accounts in her name. These accounts received substantial funds from the heist and later transferred them to untraceable unknown accounts."

My brow furrows. "How sure are we that she's involved in this?"

Reed shoots me a withering look. "Try to keep up, Castillo. She didn't just have those accounts. She also received a large gift from an unknown account suspected to be linked to the hundred-million-dollar heist. We believe Mark orchestrated this entire operation and involved Grace to some extent."

I lean back, processing the information. "Do we have any evidence that she was actively involved or aware of what Mark was doing?"

Reed snorts. "Do you really think she was clueless? Multiple transactions in her name, funds disappearing into thin air-she had to know something."

My jaw tightens. "It's possible she was set up. We need more than just circumstantial evidence before jumping to conclusions."

Jenkins intervenes, raising a hand to calm the brewing tension. "We're not here to speculate. We need concrete proof. Our next steps are to dig deeper into Grace's financial records and interview her associates. We also need to track those untraceable accounts, see if there's any way to link them back to the heist."

Reed folds his arms, his gaze never leaving mine. "And how do you propose we do that? She's not going to just hand over information willingly."

I meet his gaze head-on. "We'll handle it the way we handle every case-thoroughly and by the book. If she's innocent, we'll find out. If she's not, we'll bring her to justice."