Echoes in the Code

Will was already pulling out his comm. “Gamma channel. I want a sweep started for Dana Halloway. No alerts sent through the regular systems—do this quiet. Lock down her last known location and freeze any of her access codes.”

“On it,” Elijah responded, stepping toward the hallway, already relaying instructions to a trusted patrol team.

Remi stood at the edge of the room, arms crossed, her mind clearly racing. “If Dana’s been rerouting signals, she probably planned an exit route too. We need to assume she’s a few steps ahead.”

Rae didn’t even blink. “And I plan to catch up.”

She tapped another string of commands into her laptop. “Dana used a rotating signal mask. But when she accessed hospital records or scheduled patrol syncs, she logged in remotely—from the same terminal cluster every time.”

Trey leaned in. “Where?”

Rae turned the screen, revealing a blinking red pin on a territorial map.

“Old ranger station near the east border,” she said. “Technically off-grid, but it’s drawing power every three days like clockwork.”

Will’s expression hardened. “And today’s one of those days.”

Remi pushed off the wall. “Then let’s go. We can’t give her another head start.”

⸻

Scene Cut: Tactical Briefing – Pack House War Room

The old council map now glowed on the screen, updated with Rae’s overlays. She stood beside it, laser pointer in one hand, juice box in the other.

“This station isn’t just a hideout,” Rae said. “It’s a relay hub. Dana’s using it to filter encrypted packets—likely tied to Dr. Pierce’s operation or something even bigger.”

Elijah narrowed his eyes. “We go in loud, she bolts.”

“Then we don’t go in loud,” Rae said. “Trey and I will handle the inside. I’ve got a cloaked USB spike ready to pull copies of every message she’s sent or received. Will and Elijah, you circle from the back to block exits.”

Remi moved closer to the table. “And I go with you?”

Rae paused, then nodded. “You can handle yourself. And I could use someone who knows this terrain better than my laptop.”

Will glanced at Remi. “You good with that?”

Remi didn’t flinch. “Just point me where you need me.”

Trey gave a half-grin. “Someone remind me not to make Remi mad.”

Aspen gave a low growl of agreement.

⸻

Scene Cut: Ranger Station – East Border

They moved in formation—Rae and Trey cutting through brush toward the south entrance, Aspen keeping her nose low to the ground. Will and Elijah took the back, weapons drawn.

The station stood like a skeleton in the woods, cracked windows, twisted antennae, and wires running like veins across the outside wall.

Rae crouched at the edge of a window, breath steady. “She’s inside. And she’s panicking.”

Remi stood just behind her, watching Aspen’s subtle signals. “We get in and out. Clean.”

Trey gave Rae a boost. She climbed silently through the window, her gear already humming with low-level interference blockers.

Inside, Dana sat at an old terminal, typing furiously.

Rae slid behind her without a sound.

“Hey Dana,” Rae said casually. “Your encryption sucks, by the way.”

Dana spun around—too late.

The back door slammed open as Will and Elijah moved in.

Remi appeared a heartbeat later.

Rae pulled the USB spike from her bag and smiled. “Time to talk.”