Former Elite Jets employees are reaching out. They want to talk about their experiences. Alicia was reviewing the coverage when Sasha suddenly stiffened, staring at her screen. "Alicia, you need to see this. " The email had no subject line sent from an anonymous address. The message was brief but clear.
Back off now. You have no idea what you're dealing with. Keep pushing and we'll destroy everything you've built. Your choice. Sasha pulled up more emails, all with similar threats, each one more specific than the last, detailing ways they plan to ruin Roads aviation.
Alicia read them calmly, her expression unchanged. "Forward these to Thomas and our security team. And Sasha, yes, order dinner. We're going to be here late. She turned to Marcus.
Get me everything you can on Elite Jets' financial structure. Every shell company, every hidden partnership. "What are you thinking? " Sasha asked. Alicia's smile was subtle but determined. ""They're threatening us because the interview worked. Now, let's find out what they're so desperate to hide. " The morning sun cast long shadows through the windows of Rhodes Aviation's executive floor as Alicia stepped out of the elevator.
At 6:30 a. M., she was usually among the first to arrive. But today, a cluster of unfamiliar faces occupied the conference room. "Morning! " Marcus called out, looking tired but alert. "Cyber security teams already here.
They started sweeping our systems at 5. " Alicia nodded, noting the earnest expressions on the security consultants faces as they huddled over laptops. Their leader, a woman with steel gray hair pulled into a tight bun, stood up when Alicia entered. Ms. Rhodess, I'm Janet Cooper from Digital Fortress. "We need to talk. " Her tone carried an urgency that made Alicia's spine straighten.
"Let's use my office. " Alicia led the way with Janet following close behind. Once inside, Janet didn't waste time with pleasantries. Someone's been trying to break into your financial system since yesterday afternoon. Sophisticated attempts. They're looking for vulnerabilities in your accounting software.
Alicia's expression remained neutral, but her jaw tightened. "How close did they get? " Close enough to worry me. Janet pulled up a diagram on her tablet. They've made multiple attempts to access your payroll records, tax documents, and acquisition histories. The pattern suggests they're hunting for something they can use against you.
"Can you trace it? " They're good at covering their tracks, but Janet's fingers flew across the screen. The attacks are coming through various proxy servers. However, three of them trace back to addresses we've seen before in corporate espionage cases involving Elite Jets Consortium. Alicia's phone buzzed. Sasha had arrived.