Chapter 56

"Gotcha, you motherfucking hacker." Max triumphantly typed another command on the keyboard. The laughing skull and crossbones disappeared from his screen and were replaced by views from the network of cameras that made up his elaborate surveillance system. The last several hours had been tortuous as Max battled an unknown intruder who had taken the security system hostage. The intrusion had occurred right around the same time that his phone warned him that a break-in was occurring at the Three Crosses Rehab Center. All attempts to reach David Chang at the center had failed miserably.

The hacker was good, and had matched Max turn for turn. It was nearly sunrise when Max finally found a backdoor into the network and was able to lock the intruder out of the system. Max quickly pulled up footage from earlier that night and started reviewing the different camera angles. The scene recorded by the camera hanging over the front desk at the rehab center made him scratch his head. Chang was dressed as an orderly, and everything was going to plan, until 3:03 AM. Then, abruptly, Chang jumped up and ran from sight.

Max was puzzled by Chang's action, until he reviewed the footage from Mitch's study. His jaw dropped when the strange looking, armored vehicle plowed through the wall, just to the right of the stone fireplace. Furniture and exercise equipment went flying, as the vehicle tore through the room. The two top mounted machine guns scanned the room. Then, two familiar figures emerged from their armored cocoon.

Max balled his fist and punched the metal table when he saw Liv jump out of the driver's seat. His rage reached a boiling point when he saw the hallway gun fight unfold. Max watched his well-trained men race from their ambush site at the front door to the hallway where Liv and Finn wiped them out, one by one. War never went as planned, and Max made a mental note to train the new batch of recruits to respond better to unexpected situations.

Finally, after interrogating another man and then killing him, the little bitch and her boy toy jumped back in the vehicle and raced out of the room.

"Did you finally get that hacker out of our system?" Mitch's question broke through the rage-filled haze that was clouding Max's thinking. They were in the command center of the Bathsheba Mine, a room carved in the granite heart of a high altitude mountain. It was the center of communication for Max's operation. Secure messages concerning upcoming drug and arms deals were broadcasted and received there.

The location had been hand-picked by Max for its remoteness and security. They could see a raid by the authorities coming from miles away. Anyone foolish enough to assault the mine would find themselves battling uphill, across open tundra and without cover. There was only one way in and one way out.

Mitch had been pouring over a pile of expense reports when Max's fist punched the table, interrupting his work.

"Looks like your goddaughter isn't content with bringing us the journal." Max swiveled the computer monitor in Mitch's direction.

"Where in God's name did she get that abominable thing?" Mitch demanded, pointing to the armored vehicle filling the screen.

"I think she built it. That's the only explanation I've got. Never seen anything like it. God knows where she got all the parts, or how she got it done so quickly."

"Do you have any idea where she's going next?" Mitch's lip twitched as Max played the video of the mysterious vehicle crashing through his office, his personal sanctuary, at the rehab center.

"No. I haven't finished looking over all the footage, but it looks like she just finished taking out my guys at Three Crosses Mine. If I had to wager, I'd bet she's heading here. I'll take some of my men and intercept her." Max sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Now that we know what she's got, we'll make sure we have better weapons. She won't be dealing with small arms fire anymore!"

"Sounds good. Set a bounty. Your men seem to respond well to monetary motivation. Don't fail me this time!" Mitch warned. "You told me this very expensive army you have could take care of the heaviest hitters anyone could come up with. This little girl is making you look really bad." With that, the conversation was over. Mitch went back to his stack of reports as Max stalked off.