Multiple attempts to access your personal emails and financial records, too. They're not just targeting the company. They're after you specifically. Alicia absorbed this without visible reaction, but her hand tightened slightly on her coffee cup. "Secure everything.
Personal accounts, home networks, mobile devices, mine, and my key executives already on it. Janet hesitated. There's something else. We found traces of surveillance software trying to activate the cameras on company devices. They want eyes inside your operation.
The room fell silent. Robert looked up from his laptop, face pale. Marcus, who had been quietly taking notes in the corner, muttered something under his breath. "How many devices? " Alicia asked. They tried to access cameras on at least 30 computers, including yours and your executive teams.
Janet's voice was professional, but her eyes showed concern. "We're installing countermeasures now. " Alicia turned to Marcus. "Get everyone together in the main conference room in 20 minutes. All department heads, key personnel. They need to know what we're dealing with.
As the others filed out, Sasha entered with fresh coffee and a stack of messages. The press is starting to ask questions about all the security consultants arriving this morning. "Tell them we're conducting routine system upgrades. Alicia took the coffee, grateful for its warmth. Standard procedure after a major contract cancellation. " Sasha nodded, then lowered her voice.
"Are you okay? This is getting intense. " Alicia allowed herself a small smile. They think they can bully us into submission by threatening our technology, our records. They clearly haven't done their homework. She walked back to her office where Janet's team had set up a command center of sorts.
Screens displayed real-time security monitoring, intrusion detection systems, and network traffic analysis. Robert, she called out as she passed the CFO's office. "Start with last quarter's financials. Every transaction, every approval, every signature. Build me a wall they can't break through.
The morning sun now streamed fully through the windows, illuminating the determined faces of her team as they worked to protect everything she'd built. They might be under attack, but Alicia Roads had never backed down from a fight, and she wasn't about to start now. The Manhattan skyline glowed orange in the setting sun as Alicia settled into her home office. Her elegant penthouse, usually a sanctuary of calm, now felt like a command center. Three large monitors dominated her desk, showing the faces of some of the most powerful black executives and community leaders in the country.
"Thank you all for making time tonight," Alicia began, her voice steady despite the exhaustion of the day. I know many of you had to rearrange schedules on short notice. Marcus Davidson, CEO of the largest Black-owned bank in America, spoke first. "When we heard what happened at that airfield, Alicia, we knew we had to respond. This isn't just about you.