Chapter 46 - Shadows Over the Iron Sea
"Uncle Archibald," Alexander whispered, his knuckles turning dead white around the grip of his carbine. "He staged his death. He was the Sovereign all along."
"He was the architect who betrayed your father," Elena said, her voice trembling slightly with pure, unadulterated fury. "He orchestrated the entire split. He manipulated Julianna into your bed, orchestrated the divorce, and waited for you to inherit the family vault so he could reclaim the one thing your father stole from him before he died."
"The Cypher Key," Alexander realized. "It doesn't just hold the financial assets. It holds the biometric encryption codes to the Vance defense satellites."
Through the screen, Archibald Vance tapped his walking stick against the steel floor. "Alexander, my boy. Bring the physical key down to Level 4. Bring your former wife. If you attempt any foolish heroics, or if you don't step out onto the observation catwalk within three minutes, little Leo will be dropped through the moon pool into the Atlantic."
The screen went black.
"We don't have three minutes to formulate an extraction plan," Alexander said, his breathing shallow and rapid. "I'll go down first. I’ll surrender the Key. While he’s focused on me—"
"No," Elena cut him off sharply, her eyes burning into his soul. "Archibald knows how you think, Alexander. You think like a corporate commander; you think in terms of tactical sacrifice. He expects you to try to be the martyr."
She gripped his arm, her touch burning through the damp fabric of his gear. "We go together. But we don't play by their rules. Julianna thinks I'm just a mother who was lucky enough to outsmart her once. She has no idea what I brought with me in that sub-orbital transport."
Elena reached down to the secondary pack strapped to her hip and pulled out an ignition remote with a dual-key toggle.
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"The VTOL's scramjet engine," Alexander murmured, his eyes widening. "You didn't just land it behind the fuel silos."
"I slaved the VTOL's emergency fuel purge valve to this detonator," Elena whispered, a chilling smile touching her lips. "If they hurt one hair on our son's head, I will turn this entire platform into a five-thousand-degree blast furnace. We walk in together, Alexander. And we leave together—as a family."
