Page 68 of Undercover Infidel
“Agreed,” Lex said. “A military approach risks pushing them to accelerate their timeline. Or worse, deploy what they’ve already built.”
The debate continued, but I remained steadfast in my previously stated opinion. Throughout the discussion, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Bennett was playing a role, his arguments designed to delay rather than advance our mission.
Tag walked in just as we were finishing our assessment. He pulled me aside after being briefed on our discoveries.
“I might have a lead on Nightingale,” he said, keeping his voice low. “Nothing concrete yet, but signals analysis picked up communication patterns consistent with her methods. It’s being tracked.”
“Good,” I replied. “Keep me posted.”
As the team prepared for the next observation rotation, I developed a strategy to identify if there was a leak. I created three separate mission briefs with minor variations in locations and timing, ensuring each version had unique details that could be traced.
“I’ll have Gus drop these by Blackmoor’s courier system,” I told Tag. “Each person gets a different iteration. If there is a breach, we’ll know the source.”
“Smart,” he agreed. “Though risky if we’re working against the clock.”
“A calculated risk,” I countered. “Better than moving forward with a compromised operational security.”
The day wore on, each hour bringing new data from our field teams and increasing tension within the safe house.
By sixteen hundred hours,I was mentally exhausted, but no less vigilant. When Lex suggested we take a break to review our findings in private, I readily agreed, needing a moment away from the charged atmosphere of the command center.
We retreated to the bedroom we shared, which I’d already swept for listening devices. The wood-paneled room offered a temporary sanctuary from the chaos below.
“What happens if they succeed?” I asked Lex as we sat on the bed, in each other’s arms. “If Orlov deploys this system—even as a demonstration—the implications for global stability would be catastrophic.”
“It would redefine warfare,” she replied, her voice soft but firm. “Nations with this technology couldhold entire countries hostage without firing a single conventional weapon. Financial systems, medical equipment, and transportation networks—all vulnerable to selective attacks.”
“The end of civilization as we know it,” I said, staring into the distance. “Not with nuclear fire, but with silent, invisible pulses rendering our technology useless.”
Lex snuggled closer. “We won’t let that happen.”
In her reassuring presence, I found a balance I’d never known before—someone who understood both sides of my life and who matched my intellect and determination with her own.
“Lex,” I began, turning to face her. “Whatever happens in the next forty-eight hours?—”
“Don’t,” she interrupted, her eyes meeting mine. “I need to tell you something first. I’ve been trying to find the right moment, but there isn’t one, not in the middle of all this.” She took a breath. “Con, I?—”
A sharp knock at the door cut her off. Archon stood in the doorway, tablet in hand. “Satellite imagery just came in,” he said. “You need to see this immediately.”
We followed him downstairs, where the team had gathered around the display. The images showed a small clearing about a kilometer from the main facility.In the center stood what appeared to be testing apparatus surrounded by multiple vehicles.
“These were taken fifteen minutes ago,” Tag explained, advancing the sequence. “Watch what happens.”
The next images showed a pulse of energy emanating from the central device, followed by the immediate shutdown of all electronics in a measured radius around the site.
“They’re testing it,” Lex said, her face pale. “A small-scale demonstration of targeted EMP capability.”
“The real demonstration is tomorrow,” Bennett said, his voice hollow. “This was just the rehearsal.”
My eyes met Lex’s, both of us understanding the gravity of what we’d witnessed. Orlov wasn’t just building a weapon; he was preparing to unveil it to whoever had funded his research. And we had less than twenty-four hours to stop him.
20
LEX
The pieces of Project Labyrinth were beginning to fall into place. Based on the intel we’d gathered, Orlov’s operation appeared to combine AIWS with electromagnetic pulse technology in ways we hadn’t previously encountered. Our next step was clear—we needed to infiltrate the lab to confirm our suspicions and gather concrete evidence.
I observed Con from across the command center as he finalized three separate mission briefs. Each contained slight variations in coordinates and timing—a subtle trap designed to expose any leak.
