Page 201 of Silent Target

The second charge detonates.

The door tears inward.

Victor Kane steps through the smoke.

His armor is damaged, and blood soaks the sleeve beneath Evie’s bullet wound.

Still, his rifle remains steady.

Three guards enter behind him.

Victor sees Mac at the terminal.

“Step away.”

Mac doesn’t move.

“You were given authority because the Chairman believed you would protect the Circle.”

“He was wrong.”

Victor’s expression hardens.

“No. He was never wrong.”

Fathom attacks the final relay.

Five percent.

Four.

Victor raises his rifle toward him.

I fire first.

My bullet strikes Victor’s weapon and knocks it aside.

Rook, Shark, and Falcon engage the guards.

Cobra pulls Fathom away as a round tears into the server beside his head.

“Transfer status?” Rook shouts.

Fathom checks the tablet.

Two percent.

One.

The screen freezes.

Then flashes:

GLOBAL TRANSFER INTERRUPTED.

We stopped most of it.

Not all.