As he passed a suite of offices, heated voices caught his attention. Words like “protocol,” “firewall,” and “security breach” drifted through the door. Nolan paused, peering inside. A group of sharply dressed men huddled around a massive electronic safe. They were sweating and muttering in frustration, their expertise failing against the machine. At the center of the group stood a commanding figure, tall and impeccably dressed, with an aura of authority. This was Elias Carmichael, a billionaire investor whose name was synonymous with wealth and influence across the country.
Nolan crouched behind a partition, analyzing the safe’s electronic panel. It was advanced, yes, but the sequence errors were clear to him. The technicians were forcing the wrong procedures, the timing cycles were misaligned, and their manual attempts were compounding the issue. Taking a steadying breath, Nolan stepped forward, his small frame belying his confidence.
The door creaked, and every pair of eyes snapped to him. Elias himself stared in disbelief, staring down at a boy who looked barely twelve, with dirty sneakers and a threadbare jacket.