Chapter Sixteen
Rex
Rex stood at the top of the private jet’s stairs, squinting against the golden June sunrise breaking over Tipton Airport.
The warm morning air already carried hints of the summer heat to come as he descended.
Below, the rest of his friends were already gathered.
Max arranging early flights for them from their respective locations got them here ahead of schedule.
The airfield sprawled before them in a maze of hangars and storage facilities.
A light breeze carried the scent of freshly cut grass and aviation fuel as they made their way to the waiting Humvee.
The sound of distant aircraft taking off from the main runways provided a steady background rhythm to their arrival.
Rex’s mind wandered to the reason for this dawn meeting.
The bait they had carefully laid for The Consortium had been done with precise coordination.
Every player knew their role, and Colonel Brett’s unit had assisted his team to set the trap while maintaining their cover.
The warehouse they were heading to housed what appeared to be an Avionics warehouse, but in reality, it was one of the most sophisticated intelligence, white-collar crime operations on the East Coast.
“I hope the colonel has some decent coffee in this joint,” Axel grumbled as they exited the Humvee, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. “And decent a/c. This Maryland humidity is already killing me.”
“Forget about the coffee, he’d better have a decent breakfast waiting for us. I’m fucking starving,” Jax complained, running a hand over his belly.
“You’re always hungry,” Dexter snorted as he slung his jacket over his shoulder. “Doesn’t your wife feed you? Or did you feast on something more delectable this morning other than food?”
“As if you didn’t,” Jax shot back with a knowing smirk. “Besides, who eats breakfast at four in the morning, asshat?”
Max chuckled, falling into step beside Rex. “Children, play nice. We’re about to meet the colonel.”
“Speaking of the devil,” Rex nodded toward the warehouse entrance where Colonel Camden Brett stood waiting, his imposing figure backlit by the industrial lighting, dressed in jeans and a white shirt.
They only wore tactical gear for operations.
On site, to maintain their cover, they dressed informally.
“Gentlemen,” the colonel’s deep voice carried across the distance. “Welcome to my humble abode. And yes, Axel, we have coffee—the good stuff, not that instant crap you usually drink. And the a/c is cranked up just for you delicate flowers.”
“He knows you too well.” Dexter jabbed an elbow into Axel’s ribs.
“Kiss my ass, Dex,” Axel retorted, but there was no heat in his words, just friendly bantering.
The colonel’s eyes crinkled with amusement as he held the door open. “I also had my people grab some breakfast. Can’t have Jax passing out from hunger during the briefing. Though I suggest we eat before he wilts in this heat.”
“See?” Jax grinned triumphantly. “The colonel knows how to treat his guests.”
Rex shared a look with Max as they followed the others inside.
Despite the banter, he could feel the underlying tension among his friends.
They all knew what was at stake. The bait they had set for The Consortium had been implemented.
One wrong move, one misplaced detail, and it could potentially anger the syndicate to turn threats into reality.
The warehouse door closed behind them with a metallic clang, sealing them into the colonel’s blessedly cool domain. The smell of fresh coffee and a hot breakfast wafted through the air.
The boardroom in Camden’s office flooded with early morning sunlight streaming through the windows.
Linda Gunn, his PA, moved efficiently around the table, setting down plates of steaming farmhouse breakfast consisting of hash browns, eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled tomatoes, and toast. The decadent aroma of premium coffee floated through the room.
“Linda, you’re an angel,” Jax moaned appreciatively, already piling his plate high. “I might have to steal you away from the colonel.”
Linda’s eyes twinkled as she topped up his coffee. “Sorry, Mr. Crowthorne. The colonel’s retirement package is too good to pass up.”
“She’s immune to your charms, Jax,” Dexter smirked, helping himself to coffee. “Besides, little Nanja would kill you.”
The room filled with comfortable laughter as Linda left, closing the door behind her. Despite the serious nature of their meeting, the familiar camaraderie lit the atmosphere.
Rex waited until everyone had settled, watching as Jax attacked his breakfast with characteristic enthusiasm.
“Alright, let me break down what The Consortium is really after,” he began, absently stirring his coffee. “They want access to my QuantumSecure banking algorithm, but not for extortion as you might expect.”
“How so?” Dexter leaned forward, his breakfast temporarily forgotten.
“They’re planning to skim small amounts from billions of personal checking and savings accounts worldwide on a weekly basis, disguised as bank charges.” Rex’s expression hardened. “Small enough that most people wouldn’t bother questioning it, but multiplied across billions of accounts...”
“Fucking brilliant,” Axel muttered, then quickly added at Max’s sharp look, “In an evil genius kind of way, of course.”
“Rex and I threw out some bait to see if we could draw them out without raising suspicion.”
“So, what bait did you angle out?” Axel asked, reaching for more toast.
Camden and Rex exchanged glances before Camden explained their strategy with the fake vulnerability in the authentication protocols and the carefully placed exposure on the development server.
“And how do we know if your bait worked?” Dexter asked, pushing his empty plate aside.
“By keeping a 24/7 vigil on every click on the bait link we implemented,” Camden replied, his expression satisfied. “Even though it took only a couple of minutes, it worked.”
Rex nodded, leaning back in his chair. “We needed something compelling enough to trigger action without actually compromising the system. So, we fabricated documentation about a theoretical backdoor in the quantum key distribution. Made it look like we missed a potential weakness in the entanglement verification process, which would allow them a gateway past the security systems.”
“I’m a little lost,” Axel muttered. “Give it to me in layman's terms. How exactly would that bait be triggered?”
“The gateway access triggered multiple silent alarms,” Rex explained, leaning forward. “Every click, every keystroke they made trying to exploit the fake vulnerability left digital fingerprints. Our tracking system captured three distinct access points before they caught on and pulled back.”
“Like watching a trail of breadcrumbs appear in real time,” Camden added. “We’ve reconfirmed the original three hubs, and now, the fourth one right here in Louisiana. Each one seems to operate independently but connects through a sophisticated relay system from the main hub in New Orleans.”
“Which must make it damn near impossible to nail down their central command,” Max interjected, frustration evident in his tone.
“Yes,” Camden growled. “They’re using some kind of rotating proxy system that makes it look like they’re everywhere and nowhere all at once.”
“But in their eagerness, they slipped up,” Rex said, a predatory gleam in his eyes. “The Louisiana access wasn’t as clean as in the past or as the others have been lately. They left traces that suggest they’re operating somewhere within a fifty-mile radius of the New Orleans city center.”
“So, what you’re saying is that they actually took the bait?” Dexter asked, eyebrows raised.
“Hook, line, and sinker,” Camden confirmed with a satisfied smile.
“Does that mean they stole the money?” Axel interjected as he sipped his coffee.
“They accessed the gateway, but it’s too early to tell if they used it,” Rex said. “If they did run a batch of transactions during the night, it would only be processed by the banks during banking hours. It might only be processed after the weekend. My team is keeping an eye out for it.”
Jax paused mid-bite, swallowing a mouthful of eggs. “And if they did, how do you get the money back?”
A slight smile played at the corners of Rex’s mouth.
“We won’t need to. See, that’s the beauty of it.
It’s a fluke. From their side, the transactions would run and show the actual total value they believe they’re pilfering from the accounts, but in reality, my algorithm changes it into a cipher run.
I’d love to be a fly on the wall to see their fucking expression when they check the various accounts the money is deposited into and realize it was all for nothing. ”
Max’s face darkened with concern. “This isn’t just about Rex and his algorithm anymore—at least not solely. The threats they’ve been making... it sounds to me that they’re targeting all of us and our families. We need to stay ahead of these bastards.”
“Is it my imagination,” Dexter interjected, voicing what had been weighing on all their minds, “or do you also feel that some of this entire fucked up situation is personal? A vendetta of some sort against all five of us and that getting Rex to do something illegal is only the tip of the iceberg to fuck us all over?”
“Yeah, the thought has crossed my mind,” Max said grimly. “Which is why I appointed covert security teams to watch over all of you and your loved ones.”
“Thanks for that, Max.” Rex nodded, pushing his plate away. “I agree. It’s not common knowledge that I personally developed that security algorithm, so it has to be someone who has insight into it. Fuck if I can think of anyone who has a grudge against all of us.”
Camden cleared his throat. “At least we also have the name of one person involved with The Consortium, in other words, the one who leaked the intel to The Consortium’s hacker.”
Max’s eyes glinted dangerously as he stood. “Well, what are we waiting for? Who is the motherfucker?”
Camden looked around the room. “A man who I have always believed had the highest integrity. I met him a couple of years ago at a fundraiser. Sad, since he has a lovely family.” Camden ran a hand through his hair. “The Director of Foreign Currency at the World Bank, Colin Masters.”
“Fucking shocked me, too.” Rex’s fist cracked against the desk. “He was involved in the initial discussions when we started the development.”
“Well, he has clearly lost his stellar integrity over the years. The Consortium is all about power and money, so I guess greed has a lot to do with his fall from grace,” Dexter grumbled as he finished his meal.
“Let’s go pay him a visit, shall we?” Max stood. “See if we can persuade him to volunteer the New Orleans’ hub location and some more names running the elusive Consortium.”
The tension in the room shifted and became more predatory as the men exchanged knowing looks.
“I suggest we wait until after dark and visit him at his home. Access is easy, and we can enter undetected via the lake. Accosting him at work will draw unnecessary attention,” Camden said as he rolled out a printed area chart of the estate where Masters lived.
“Agreed,” Max studied the map. “So, what’s our strategy?”
Jax quickly shoveled his last bite of breakfast, wiping his mouth with a napkin. The time for casual breakfast was over—now the real work would begin.
“Masters’ estate is heavily monitored from land,” Camden explained, spreading out satellite imagery across his desk. “But the lake approach is surprisingly light on surveillance. Rich folks tend to worry more about street access than water entry.”
“Perfect,” Max nodded. “I assume we’re taking the tactical boat. Silent running after sunset.”
“This has to be a non-violent mission,” Rex said with authority. “Masters might be a white-collar criminal, but he has a teenage son and eight-year-old twin daughters. If we go to his house, we go for him; his family must not be aware we’re there.”
“That goes without saying.” Max nodded and leaned over the map again. “I assume you already know his security detail?”
Camden nodded. “Definitely more than required for a banking executive.”
“Well, that in itself is telling, so one way or the other, his wife must be aware something isn’t kosher,” Jax said around the last bite in his mouth.
“Maybe so, but that doesn’t mean she has to suffer on his behalf.” Rex stood firm, but he knew he was preaching to the choir. None of them would ever hurt women and children.