Bab 56: Chapter 56: The Crescendo
The war room in Zenith Tower was quieter than usual, the air heavy with tension as Ethan Carter stood over the holographic display. The message from the Ghost Network—"The crescendo is coming"—blazed in sharp, glowing letters, a taunt, a promise, and a declaration of war. Around him, Jessica, Sophia, and Mark were locked in their own grim thoughts. The clock was ticking.
Jessica, her exhaustion evident in the dark circles under her eyes, broke the silence. "I've cracked part of their encryption. The crescendo isn't just a single attack—it's a coordinated global strike. They've timed it down to the second. Energy grids, stock markets, communications infrastructure—they're hitting everything. If this succeeds, they'll grind the world to a halt."
Sophia leaned against the table, her bandaged arm hanging at her side. "This isn't sabotage anymore. This is collapse. They're wiping the slate clean so they can rebuild it in their image."
Mark's expression was hard. "They're not just targeting us—they're targeting everything. Governments, corporations, civilians. This is scorched earth."
Ethan's sharp gaze never left the map. The Ghost Network's activity radiated across the globe like a cancer, its tendrils spreading through major cities. "Where's the source?" he asked, his voice calm and commanding.
Jessica hesitated. "I traced the signals to three key nodes: New York, Tokyo, and London. Each one is critical. If we hit all three, we can disrupt the crescendo before it starts. But…" She faltered, her voice dropping. "This won't be easy. These aren't just relay points—they're fortified operations hubs. The Ghost Network will throw everything they've got to protect them."
Ethan straightened, his mind already racing through contingencies. "We divide and conquer. Mark, you'll lead the team in London. I'll take Tokyo. We'll send the secondary team to New York." He turned to Sophia, who opened her mouth to protest before he could speak. "You're staying here. You're injured."
Sophia's eyes narrowed. "You're not going into Tokyo without backup. I don't care if my arm's in a sling. I'm coming."
For a moment, Ethan considered arguing, but the defiance in her gaze was unshakable. He smirked faintly. "Fine. Just don't get in my way."
The operations launched simultaneously under the cover of darkness, the world oblivious to the shadow war unfolding in its major cities. In Tokyo, the lights of the city glowed like fireflies as Ethan and Sophia approached the Ghost Network's tech command center, hidden within a nondescript skyscraper in Shinjuku. Jessica's voice came through their earpieces, steady despite the stakes. "Surveillance feeds are looped, but internal security is tight. Once you're inside, I'll guide you to the mainframe. You'll have five minutes before they catch on."
Ethan led the way, his movements precise and deliberate. They slipped through the building's rear entrance, bypassing biometric locks with one of Jessica's devices. The first few floors were quiet—too quiet. By the time they reached the main server room, the tension was palpable.
The room was a fortress of technology, its walls lined with racks of humming servers. Ethan inserted the decryption drive into the central console as Sophia covered him, her weapon ready despite her injury. "Jessica, how long?" Ethan asked, his sharp eyes on the screen.
"Three minutes," she replied, her voice tense. "But you've got company. Heat signatures on the stairs—armed hostiles, at least a dozen."
Sophia adjusted her stance, ignoring the ache in her shoulder. "Let them come."
The first wave of attackers breached the room moments later. Ethan and Sophia moved as one, their coordination seamless despite the chaos. Sophia dropped three operatives with precise shots, but her movements were slower than usual. When a fourth attacker charged her, Ethan intercepted, taking him down with a brutal efficiency that left no room for retaliation.
"Focus," he snapped, his tone sharp.
Sophia glared at him, her breathing heavy. "I'm fine. Watch your back."
The reinforcements kept coming, each wave more aggressive than the last. Smoke grenades filled the room, reducing visibility and forcing Ethan and Sophia to rely on instinct. Every second felt like an eternity as the decryption continued, the tension mounting with every new assault.
"Two minutes," Jessica said, her voice breaking through the chaos. "Just hold the line."
In London, Mark's team faced their own challenges. The energy relay station was heavily fortified, its defenses more advanced than they had anticipated. Mark adapted quickly, using unconventional tactics to breach the facility while his team worked to disable the Ghost Network's systems. The firefight was brutal, but Mark's leadership kept his operatives focused, and their progress was steady.
Meanwhile, in New York, the secondary team fought to secure the financial hub. The Ghost Network's operatives were ruthless, their tactics designed to inflict maximum damage even as they defended their position. The battle raged through the night, the city's skyline a silent witness to the unseen war.
Back in Tokyo, the decryption drive finally completed its task. Ethan removed the drive and signaled to Sophia. "We're done. Time to move."
Their escape was chaotic. The Ghost Network's reinforcements had doubled, and the building was now a battlefield. Sophia stumbled as her injury slowed her down, giving an attacker an opening. Ethan reacted instantly, taking down the operative with a single, decisive shot.
"You good?" he asked, his voice tight with concern.
Sophia nodded, her smirk faint but determined. "I'm not slowing you down."
They barely made it to the extraction point, their vehicle speeding away as alarms blared in the distance. Ethan glanced at Sophia, his expression unreadable. "Next time, listen to me."
Sophia leaned back in her seat, exhaustion etched on her face. "Next time, don't underestimate me."
Back at Zenith Tower, the team regrouped as Jessica pieced together the data they had recovered from all three operations. Her face was pale as she addressed them. "The crescendo isn't just an attack—it's a reset. They're targeting the systems that control everything: financial algorithms, energy grids, communication satellites. If they succeed, they'll plunge the world into chaos and seize control during the recovery."
Ethan's gaze hardened. "How much time do we have?"
"Forty-eight hours," Jessica replied. "Maybe less."
Sophia stepped forward, her voice steady despite her exhaustion. "Then we hit them now. Whatever their endgame is, we stop it before it starts."
Jessica nodded, bringing up a new map. "There's one last location—a central node in Zurich. Everything ties back to it. If we take it down, we cripple the entire operation."
Ethan's smirk returned, colder and more determined than ever. "Then we're going to Zurich."
The Ghost Network's crescendo was building, but Ethan Carter wasn't about to let them conduct the finale.
Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone