Chapter 4 - Into the High-Tech ShadowsThe threat against Ava triggered every instinct Daniel had spent three years burying. Within twelve hours, Olivia’s top private security specialist, Emma Richardson—a former Secret Service agent—was stationed at Daniel’s apartment. A discreet, elite team was assigned to guard Ava around the clock.
"Ava won't even know they're there," Emma promised Daniel. "They’re disguised as local parents, crossing guards, and delivery drivers. She is completely safe."
With his daughter protected, Daniel agreed to act as Olivia’s tactical advisor and personal bodyguard until the threat was eliminated. He suited up in dark tactical civilian wear, concealing a concealed firearm beneath a dark jacket.
He accompanied Olivia to Quantum Leap’s headquarters—a glass-and-steel fortress in downtown Blackstone. As they swept through high-tech labs, Daniel’s eyes analyzed every camera angle, security guard posture, and server door access code.
"Our primary server cluster holds the blueprinted schematics for the clean energy cell," Olivia explained as they stood in her top-floor corner office. "If those schematics reach the black market, my company collapses, and foreign adversaries gain total energy dominance."
"Your external security is good," Daniel observed, adjusting his watch. "But your internal threat level is high. The mercenaries at the restaurant had your exact GPS location. Someone inside Quantum is feeding them live data."
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Olivia’s eyes widened slightly. "You think I have a traitor on my executive board?"
Before Daniel could answer, her encrypted phone buzzed with an urgent alert. A high-priority flash drive containing raw code had just been authorized for manual extraction from the secondary lab downstairs.
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