CHAPTER 17 — FOUR HOURS UNTIL ZERO
“THEN WE DON’T HAVE FOUR HOURS. WE HAVE ONE CHANCE.”
Evelyn spread old architectural plans across the dining table.
Crown Zero’s central archive was hidden beneath a private medical research center outside Washington. The organization had disguised its servers as patient-data infrastructure.
Reed contacted federal cybercrime investigators.
Michael refused to remain behind.
Claire confronted him.
“Lily needs you alive more than she needs you angry.”
Michael looked toward his daughter.
Lily was sitting beside Richard, holding his hand.
For once, Michael listened.
He stayed.
Evelyn and Reed led the operation while federal teams raided the research facility.
Michael watched through encrypted video from the mansion.
At 4:17 a.m., agents breached the underground archive.
Rows of servers began automatically deleting themselves.
Then Claire noticed something on Voss’s tablet.
A remote administrator account remained active.
The username was EHALE.
Everyone turned toward Evelyn’s empty chair.
Michael’s stomach dropped.
“Mom?”
Reed’s voice came through the radio.
“Evelyn disappeared.”
Michael stared at the screen.
The deletion suddenly stopped.
Then every Crown Zero file began transferring to federal servers.
Evelyn hadn’t betrayed them.
She had gone inside alone.
Minutes later, security footage showed her entering the central server room.
An armed man followed.
Michael recognized him from the old family photographs.
His grandfather.
Evelyn’s father.
A man officially dead for thirty-one years.
He pointed a gun at his daughter.
“You should have stayed buried.”
Evelyn looked directly toward the security camera.
“No.”
May you like
Then she smiled.
“You should have stopped watching my family.”
