Dishonored To Dominance: Marcus Rise

THE THREAT EMERGES

Location: The White House Situation Room

The lights were dim in the Situation Room. A dozen faces reflected the tension that had been building over the past few hours, eyes locked on the screens displaying a map of Washington, D.C., with blinking red dots spread across various locations. There were senior intelligence officers, military generals, security experts, and, at the head of the table, President Richard Hayes. His face was stoic, but his fingers drummed lightly on the polished oak table as the latest reports came in.

Director Kate Moreland of the CIA cleared her throat, drawing the room’s attention. “Mr. President, we’ve intercepted another message. It’s encrypted but consistent with the patterns we’ve been tracking over the last few days.”

President Hayes leaned forward, his deep voice resonating across the room. “What does it say?”

Kate exchanged glances with the NSA Director, David Cole, before speaking. “We’re still working to decrypt it fully, but we believe it reference