Chapter 9
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The emergency briefing room at the Federal Reserve was filled with stern-faced executives and federal agents. Marcus Vance stood at the head of the table, but he yielded the floor entirely to Emily. She stood before the massive digital projector, perfectly composed, outlining the ghost skimming operation with terrifying precision.
"We have identified the primary node," Emily stated, zooming in on a network map. "The zero-point-two-second latency is being artificially generated by a server farm located right here in downtown Chicago, operating under the front of a logistics management company called Apex Zenith."
"Can we legally freeze a domestic logistics company based on latency anomalies?" an older executive asked, adjusting his glasses skeptically.
"We don't freeze the company," Emily countered smoothly. "We issue a targeted federal injunction on their primary banking partner, restricting any outgoing international wire transfers pending a federal audit. We choke their liquidity. Without the micro-transactions flowing out, the skimming algorithm collapses."
Marcus looked incredibly impressed. "Do we have the legal authority to draft the injunction today?"
"I already drafted it," Emily said, sliding a thick legal binder across the table. "I just need your signature, Director."
As the room buzzed with urgent action, Emily felt a sudden vibration in her pocket. It was her personal cell phone. She ignored it until the meeting adjourned. Walking back to her office, she pulled the phone out and looked at the screen.
The caller ID displayed a name she hadn't seen in over six months: Arthur Bennett. Father.
May you like
Emily stared at the screen, her heart skipping a beat before hardening into solid ice. He hadn't called her when she graduated. He hadn't called her when she won the thesis medal. He was calling now because her name was suddenly attached to a massive federal investigation making headlines on the corporate wire.
She didn't answer. She pressed the power button, turning the phone completely off. She had a ghost to catch, and she refused to let the ghosts of her past interrupt her.
