Chapter Two: The Dead List

Ten minutes later, the first barrier broke. An internal purge list appeared. Marcus Vale was third. The first two names were already red. Both had died that night. At the bottom was another target. ETHAN KANE / STATUS: UNCONFIRMED / PRIORITY: ABSOLUTE Marcus drew in a sharp breath. "They know you're alive?" "They do now." Then the backup communicator on the table lit up. The channel had been dead for six years. One line appeared. GHOST, IF YOU ARE READING THIS, RUN. Sender: S. Laurent. Ethan stared at the name. Sophia Laurent. International investigative reporter. Three months earlier she had published a piece in London about Aegis data centers. After that, her sources began disappearing.