Chapter 7: The Zurich Gambit
A High-Stakes Heist
Zurich was quiet beneath the cold grip of midnight. The streets were empty, save for the occasional luxury car rolling past like sharks in still water.
Jasper Hawke and Evelyn stood in the shadows outside a Fortis Data Vault—one of the most secure digital archives in Europe.
Inside this fortress of encrypted secrets lay what they needed: the real summit files.
Evelyn checked her watch. “We have a twenty-minute window before the next security sweep.”
Jasper exhaled. “Plenty of time.”
The plan was simple in theory, impossible in execution: break into an impenetrable data vault, steal classified files, and escape without setting off every alarm in Switzerland.
Moreau’s voice crackled in their earpieces. “This is insane, you know.”
Jasper smirked. “Wouldn’t be fun otherwise.”
He pulled a small black cube from his jacket—a custom EMP device. It wouldn’t kill the vault’s power, but it would buy them sixty seconds before the backup systems kicked in.
Jasper crouched near the service panel and attached the device. “Three… two… one.”
A soft hum, then a pulse of energy rippled outward. The security lights flickered.
“Go.”
The Ghosts in the Machine
Jasper and Evelyn slipped through the disabled door lock and entered the facility. The interior was cold, sterile—rows of reinforced steel doors lined the walls, each guarding terabytes of classified intelligence.
Evelyn pulled up the stolen access codes Moreau had provided. “The files are stored in Vault 14.”
Jasper scanned the hallway—cameras down, but not for long. They moved quickly.
Vault 14 loomed before them, its biometric scanner blinking red. Jasper knelt by the panel and pulled out a spoofing device, feeding it a digital clone of a high-level executive’s fingerprints.
A tense second.
Then—click.
The door hissed open.
Inside, rows of black server racks pulsed with blue light.
Evelyn rushed to the terminal. “We need to be fast.”
She plugged in the decryption drive. Lines of code scrolled across the screen. File transfer: 60%…
Jasper kept watch. Something felt off.
70%…
Evelyn frowned. “Someone else accessed these files before.”
Jasper’s gut tightened. “Who?”
Evelyn worked fast. “There’s a backdoor trace. Someone pulled these files yesterday.”
80%…
Jasper’s mind raced. Voss had wanted the files. But if someone had already taken them…
Then why did Voss act like he still needed them?
The realization hit hard. Voss wasn’t after the files. He was after them.
90%…
An alert flashed across the screen.
Unauthorized access detected.
Jasper’s pulse spiked. “We’ve been made. Wrap it up.”
100%. Evelyn yanked the drive free.
A voice echoed through the vault’s speakers.
“Hawke.”
Jasper froze.
It was Voss.
His voice was calm, amused. He had expected them.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t be watching?”
The main doors slammed shut, alarms blaring.
Evelyn cursed. “He played us.”
Jasper clenched his jaw. Not yet, he hasn’t.
Escape and Pursuit
Jasper grabbed a flashbang from his belt and pulled the pin.
“Eyes shut.”
A deafening BANG filled the vault as white light flooded the room.
They moved. Fast.
Jasper led Evelyn through the emergency exit—straight into a squad of armed men.
They barely had time to react before bullets ripped through the air. Jasper ducked, firing back as Evelyn took out a guard with a precise shot.
“Down the stairwell!”
They sprinted down three flights, gunfire echoing behind them. Jasper kicked open a maintenance door, leading them into a narrow alley.
Their getaway car—a sleek black BMW—was waiting. Moreau sat behind the wheel, looking exasperated.
“Every time, Hawke.”
Jasper grinned. “Drive.”
Tires screeched as they tore into the streets.
In the rearview mirror, black SUVs roared after them.
The Highway Trap
The chase led them to the A1 Highway, weaving through Zurich’s late-night traffic.
Evelyn checked the stolen drive. “We have the files. But Voss knew we’d come for them.”
Jasper’s mind worked fast. “Then the real question is—who took them before us?”
Moreau swerved hard, avoiding a pursuing vehicle. “We need to lose these guys.”
Jasper spotted a tunnel ahead.
“Cut the lights. Stay close to the left lane.”
Moreau didn’t hesitate.
As they entered the tunnel, Jasper unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed into the back.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. “What are you—”
Jasper yanked open the trunk, grabbing a small satchel. Inside—C4 explosives.
“Hold steady.”
He opened the rear window, bracing himself against the rushing wind. The SUVs were gaining.
With expert precision, Jasper tossed the explosive onto the tunnel’s ceiling—timing it perfectly.
As they exited the tunnel, he hit the detonator.
A controlled explosion sent debris crashing behind them, blocking the road.
The SUVs swerved—too late.
One clipped the wreckage and flipped. The others skidded to a halt.
They were free.
The Missing Link
Moreau pulled onto a deserted road, breathing hard. “You two are insane.”
Evelyn ignored him, staring at the stolen drive.
Jasper wiped the dust off his jacket. “We need to decrypt that.”
Evelyn’s fingers flew across her tablet, running a deep scan.
Then—her expression changed.
Jasper leaned in. “What is it?”
Evelyn hesitated. “There’s something… buried in the data. A hidden file.”
She tapped the screen, and a single name appeared.
Jasper’s blood went cold.
Moreau read it aloud.
“Victoria Langley.”
Evelyn looked up. “Who is she?”
Jasper’s jaw tightened.
He knew exactly who she was.
And if her name was on that file…
Then the stakes had just become personal.
