Episode 19: The Plan

"Zoe, I don't know what happened," Lyra finally whispered. "But my instinct is telling me to help you. So tell me the time."

The entire garage collectively exhaled.

With Lyra secured, the team scheduled the infiltration for the next morning. It had to be executed precisely when Marcus was at his desk but before his most secured meetings began.

"We strike at 11:00 AM," Jax declared, tapping a specific point on the clock. "The main network traffic is at its peak, providing maximum cover."

Zoe laid out the required timeline, tapping the holographic interface with her finger.

11:00 AM: Maya secures her meeting with Marcus and enters his office. The Nexus Corp security will log her in as an approved media visitor.

11:15 AM: Maya initiates the "walk-through" interview, successfully getting Marcus out of his chair and away from his desk.

11:20 AM: I will hack the security robots and cameras, but I can only hold them for five minutes. In that time, Lyra, the Clicker, utilizes her security access. She enters Marcus's unoccupied cabin, disguised as routine maintenance personnel.

11:22 AM: Lyra executes the click on the disguised link. This establishes the Marcus CUBE to NODE bridge. This window must be held open for three full minutes.

11:25 AM: The download is complete. Lyra is out of the cabin. Maya ends the interview and leaves Nexus Corp.

"Maya, you have to hold him for twenty minutes minimum—from the moment you lure him out until the moment Lyra is clear," Zoe stated, her eyes demanding certainty.

"No matter what he says, you keep him moving, you keep him talking, and you keep his focus off his screen."

She continued. "After twenty minutes, make some drama and escape from there."

"I can do twenty," Maya confirmed. "And leave the escape to me."

The journalistic adrenaline was already planning the perfect, ego-stroking questions.

Zoe wasn't just directing; she was the logistical anchor, providing the necessary security to minimize risk for Maya and Lyra.

"The biggest danger isn't the data link; it's the physical exposure," Jax explained. He pulled up the live security feed map of the Nexus Corp neighborhood—a feed he clearly still had access to from his Phantom Division days.

"I will clear the immediate CORE log for Lyra's entrance and exit from the 40th floor. For that brief window, her access will look like high-priority, black-level maintenance. It won't flag any security systems until after the download is complete—and by then, she'll be gone."

"Maya, I need you to attach your Ear-Com," Zoe said. "Use your own vehicle to get there."

She continued. "And now, send an email to Nexus Corp requesting an interview with CEO Marcus. Send the questions you prepared in the same email. Once we get the acceptance, our plan is fifty percent complete."

"Okay! But I don't have a personal vehicle," Maya said.

"Hmm. Jax will be there for you," Zoe replied.

Jax shook his head. "I will not be near the building," he corrected.

"But I will have a vehicle positioned three blocks away, ready to meet you. You walk out, you keep your head down, and you walk straight to the pre-designated extraction point."

"Do not run."

Kael and Zoe worked furiously on preparing the digital payload—the disguised link and the receiving NODE.

"I am setting the link to connect only one time," Kael said, his voice strained. "If it fails, we don't get a second chance. The system will flag the intrusion immediately."

As the plan solidified, Maya's initial terror faded. The journalist in her was now fully dominant. She wasn't an emotional pawn; she was the most crucial piece on the board.

The fear of prison was replaced by the fierce, cold resolve she felt when Robert tried to humiliate her.

I am going to get the story, Robert, she thought. And you are going to regret doubting me.

She spent the remaining hours not practicing the click or the escape route, but memorizing Marcus's public history, his known vanities, and his most cherished achievements. She crafted a list of ego-stroking questions designed to keep him talking for exactly twenty minutes.

She looked at her metallic right arm, remembering her father. She never saw it as a disability, but as a symbol of the integrity of his journalism.

Jax looked at Maya. "You're walking into the heart of the beast, Maya. You're the most exposed person in this operation."

Maya nodded, a calm she hadn't felt in days settling over her. "I know. But I won't lose this job. Not to Robert, and certainly not to Marcus."

The deal was sealed; the roles were accepted.

The infiltration was scheduled for 11:00 AM.

They had only a few hours left.