The command center was eerily quiet, the glow of the monitors casting long shadows across the room. Ethan Carter stood at the center of it all, his hands resting on the edge of the console as he stared at the screens. The explosion on the cargo ship had been a success, but the victory felt hollow. Aurora Dynamics was already rerouting another shipment, and the team was running on fumes. The weight of the operation pressed down on him, a constant reminder of how fragile their position was.
Jessica sat at her station, her fingers moving mechanically across the keyboard. Her eyes were bloodshot, her face pale from exhaustion, but she didn't stop. She couldn't. The moment she did, the Ghost Network would gain the upper hand. "The new shipment left Singapore six hours ago," she said, her voice hoarse. "It's heading for the same facility in Rotterdam. If we don't intercept it, they'll have the processors they need within 24 hours."
