Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Breaking the Code 

With the recent victory fresh in their minds, Sophia and her team knew they had to capitalize on the momentum. The intel gathered from the intercepted attack had opened new avenues of investigation. The Collective's network was vast, but they were beginning to see the outlines of its structure.

Back in the command center, the team worked around the clock to decode the encrypted files. Every piece of information could potentially lead to a breakthrough. Ethan, with his expertise in cryptography, was at the heart of this effort.

"Got something," Ethan announced one evening, breaking the tense silence that had settled over the room. "I've managed to decrypt part of a communication. It's not much, but it's a start."

Sophia leaned over his shoulder, scanning the lines of text. "What do we have?"

Ethan's fingers flew over the keyboard, bringing up a map. "It's a location. Somewhere in Eastern Europe. A place called Kormilovka."