Third Person POV
Damien didn't like being called in twice in one day.
It meant something had shifted.
And not in their favor.
He walked into the investigation room without a word, the low hum of machines and quiet typing already filling the space. Screens lit the walls - data, feeds, fragments of things that meant nothing until they meant everything.
Kane was already there, then minutes later Luca, the twins and Raffaele walked in as they were called in by Damien from school.
One of the IT specialist began as soon as everyone was there.
"There's been another drop"
That was news to everyone, especially after days of silence.
"Show me"
The main screen shifted and the file that had the same structure, same encryption pattern, same signature was floating there.
"Open it" Damein said.
The file unfolded. Images first then surveillance again but sharper this time.
Angles tighter and closer. Not just buildings or movements, there were people, paths and patterns. The Cassano operations were being watched like a routine.
A message followed.
"You're still looking in the wrong places"
Silence settled over the room then the symbol appeared. The black rose, with the one petal still rested beneath it.
"There's still one petal left" Alessandro said.
"That means they haven't made their big move yet but we still have nothing we can use" Alexander added.
"Wait, can you show me the routing again" Luca said.
"It's clean" the IT specialist replied quickly. "Same as the others -"
"Show me" Luca repeated, sharper this time.
The man swallowed slightly, then turned back to his system, fingers moving faster this time.
"Did you see something?" Damien asked looking at Luca.
"I think I did, but I'm not too sure"
A minute the screen shifted. The file's transmission path appeared again, layered, masked, broken into fragments across multiple nodes.
Luca leaned in slightly. His expression changing.
"Check that node please" he said, pointing once.
The specialist nodded and went to work,the next second he paused.
"There's a delay" he said. "Barely anything, but it's there"
Kane frowned. "A delay?"
"Yeah. It bounced off a point it shouldn't have touched"
Alessandro stepped closer. "So it's a relay."
"No" Luca said, "It's not part of the masking. It's break in it"
"Trace it" he continued.
The stayed still as the specialist worked, not because of tension but because they were waiting for something concrete.
A few seconds later-
"I've got something" the technician said.
Everyone shifted slightly.
YOU ARE READING
OUR BOND
AcakEver since Alessia, Noel's mother passed away it has never been the same. She doesn't get along with her father and it's been like that for the past years. He eventually gets tired of it and decides to send her to his brother-in law's place in Italy...
