Chapter 13: The Trojan Horse Protocol
With Elena joining their coalition, the final strategy took shape.
Marcus engineered a small, highly secure transmission device disguised as a standard USB drive—a "Trojan Horse" that, once plugged into Julian's private terminal, would automatically siphon the entire master database directly to Elena's encrypted journalistic network while bypassing local firewall alerts.
"The gala starts at 7:00 PM," Marcus explained, pointing a laser pen at the 3D hologram projection of Julian's mansion. "Valet parking will be jammed, security personnel will be stationed around the perimeter and ballroom, and Julian will be giving his keynote speech in the grand parlor at 8:30 PM."
"That gives us a thirty-minute window while he's on stage," Thomas said, studying the timing. "Becca and I will slip through the western terrace balcony while the crowd is distracted by the speech. Marcus, you handle the remote relay from the van outside. Elena, you stay on standby with the federal contact at the Department of Justice."
Rebecca took a deep, steadying breath. "I'm going inside the study. No one else knows the combination to the wall safe behind my grandfather's portrait."
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"Becca, you're seven months pregnant," Thomas protested, his voice laced with deep paternal anxiety. "The physical strain—"
"Dad, I am the only one who can do this," Rebecca interrupted, her tone leaving no room for argument. "This is my family, my future, and my children's safety on the line. I'm going."
