Chapter 61: The Next Move
The adrenaline from the night's escape still coursed through Adam as he paced the office. The central device was now secure in a hidden compartment in Eddie's workshop, but the attack had been a stark reminder of how relentless Chambers could be.
Sophie sat at the table, her arms crossed. "We can't keep running. Chambers isn't going to stop until he gets that piece."
Henry leaned back in his chair, a tired smirk on his face. "So what do we do? Take the fight to him?"
<DIRECT CONFRONTATION IS RISKY. HOWEVER, LEVERAGING THE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES YOU HAVE COULD WEAKEN CHAMBERS' POSITION. STRATEGY IS KEY.>
Adam stopped pacing, his jaw tightening. "Chambers is desperate, which means he's vulnerable. If we can cut off his access to the remaining pieces, we'll box him in."
Ellen, who had been quietly monitoring their communications, looked up. "That might be harder than you think. Chambers has resources all over the city. He's probably already tracking the next piece."
Adam nodded. "Then we need to get there first. Ellen, do we have any leads on the other pieces?"
Ellen pulled up a map on her laptop. "There's been chatter about an auction happening tomorrow night. High-level players, private invitations only. Rumor has it, one of the items on the block is something... unusual."
<THIS COULD BE THE NEXT PIECE. CHAMBERS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE REPRESENTATIVES AT THE AUCTION. ATTENDING WILL REQUIRE DISCRETION AND A PLAN.>
"Discretion isn't exactly our strong suit," Henry said, earning a glare from Sophie.
"We'll figure it out," Adam said. "Ellen, get us into that auction. Whatever it takes."
The following evening, Adam, Sophie, and Henry arrived at an opulent mansion on the outskirts of the city. The driveway was filled with luxury cars, and men in suits patrolled the entrance with earpieces and sharp eyes.
"I don't know how you convinced them we belong here," Henry muttered as he adjusted his tie.
Ellen's voice crackled through their hidden earpieces. "Let's just say a little creative hacking goes a long way. You're on the guest list, but don't push your luck."
The trio entered the grand hall, their eyes scanning the crowd. Wealthy bidders sipped champagne and examined display cases, each item more extravagant than the last.
"Where's the piece?" Sophie whispered.
<AUCTION ITEMS ARE ROTATED THROUGH THE MAIN DISPLAY ROOM. STAY CLOSE AND WAIT FOR IT TO APPEAR. BUT BEWARE—CHAMBERS' PEOPLE WILL BE HERE. IDENTIFY THEM AND REMAIN INCONSPICUOUS.>
Adam spotted a man in a sharp suit near the bar, his posture too rigid, his gaze too focused. "That's one of them," Adam murmured.
Sophie glanced discreetly. "Agreed. He's scanning the room, not enjoying the party."
Henry smirked. "Let's hope he's terrible at poker, too."
As the auction began, the trio settled into seats near the back of the room, trying to blend in. The items ranged from rare art pieces to technological prototypes, each fetching astronomical bids.
Finally, the auctioneer unveiled a small, metallic object etched with faint engravings. Adam's heart skipped a beat. It was another piece of the system, unmistakable in its design.
"The bidding for this unique artifact begins at one million dollars," the auctioneer announced.
"Great," Henry muttered. "Anyone have a spare million lying around?"
<FUNDS ARE NOT THE ONLY OPTION. IDENTIFY WHO WINS THE BID AND ACQUIRE THE PIECE AFTER THE AUCTION. HOWEVER, TIMING WILL BE CRUCIAL.>
As the bids climbed, Adam focused on the players. Chambers' representative was among them, raising his paddle with precision as the price escalated.
"Can we outbid him?" Sophie whispered.
"Even if we could, it'd draw too much attention," Adam replied.
The bidding war continued until Chambers' representative secured the piece for three million dollars. The room erupted into polite applause as the auctioneer moved on to the next item.
"Now what?" Henry asked.
Adam's jaw tightened. "We follow him."
After the auction, the trio discreetly tailed Chambers' representative as he left the mansion and entered a sleek black car. Adam and the others followed at a safe distance, weaving through the city streets until the car pulled into a private storage facility.
"This guy's careful," Henry muttered. "He's not taking the piece straight to Chambers."
Sophie frowned. "Which means we have a window to grab it before it moves again."
<STORAGE FACILITIES TYPICALLY HAVE WEAK SECURITY PROTOCOLS AT NIGHT. A SMALL TEAM CAN INFILTRATE WITHOUT DETECTION IF THEY MOVE QUICKLY.>
Adam nodded. "We go in now. Henry, you're on lookout. Sophie, you're with me."
The storage facility was eerily quiet as Adam and Sophie slipped inside, avoiding the cameras and motion sensors. Guided by a tracker Ellen had planted on the representative's car, they found the unit where the piece was stored.
Sophie picked the lock with practiced ease, and the door slid open to reveal a reinforced case sitting on a steel table.
"This is it," Sophie said, her voice hushed.
Adam carefully opened the case, revealing the metallic piece nestled inside. Its engravings glowed faintly, just like the others.
"We've got it," Adam said, his voice steady.
<EXCELLENT. HOWEVER, YOU MUST LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. CHAMBERS' TEAM MAY HAVE SET UP SURVEILLANCE.>
"Too late," Sophie whispered, glancing at the security camera that had just turned toward them.
An alarm blared, and footsteps echoed through the facility.
"Time to go!" Adam shouted, grabbing the case.
The escape was a blur of motion and chaos. Henry pulled the car around as Adam and Sophie dodged guards and made a break for the exit. They jumped into the car just as the guards reached the door, bullets ricocheting off the pavement as Henry floored the gas pedal.
"Did we get it?" Henry asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.
Adam held up the case. "We got it."
Back at the office, the team gathered around the table, the stolen piece resting in its protective case.
"That was close," Sophie said, exhaling deeply.
<SUCCESSFULLY ACQUIRING THIS PIECE PUTS YOU ONE STEP AHEAD. HOWEVER, CHAMBERS WILL NOT IGNORE THIS LOSS. PREPARE FOR ESCALATION.>
Adam nodded, his resolve unshaken. "Let him escalate. We're ready."
End of Chapter 61