Chapter 45: A Deeper Threat

Back at the safe house, the atmosphere was tense. Ava paced back and forth in front of a whiteboard filled with notes, diagrams, and photographs, her mind racing with possibilities. The encounter with Victor Drayton had shifted everything—he was a new kind of enemy they hadn’t fully prepared for. Lucas sat at the table, his hands steepled before him, his eyes fixed on the whiteboard. “We need to understand why Drayton is so invested in Quantum Technologies,” he said, his voice steady but intense. “He’s not just protecting them out of goodwill. There’s something deeper at play.” Jess, still at her laptop, nodded in agreement. “I’ve been searching for all known connections between Drayton and Quantum, but he’s covered his tracks well. No direct links, at least not on the surface.” Ryan leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “We know Drayton deals in arms and has ties to various governments and militias worldwide. Quantum could be supplying him with tech for his operations—something h