#### **Chapter 27: The Director's Gambit**
The Director watched the footage of the Siberian facility's collapse, her expression unreadable. Valerius's failure was a footnote. The loss of the hard drive was an irritation. But the confirmation of the kill switch? That was an opportunity.
"They have it," she said to the empty room, a thin, predatory smile gracing her lips. "They have the key to our greatest vulnerability. And like frightened children, they will try to use it."
She brought up a new screen, displaying the profiles of Renji, Kuro, and Hikari. "The prototypes believe they are on the offensive. They think they are hunting us. Let them."
She began to dictate orders, her voice the calm epicenter of a coming storm. "Double the security at all primary broadcast arrays. I want our top counter-intel teams monitoring all of them. Leak subtle misinformation. Make the array in the Atacama Desert seem like the most vulnerable. We will let them choose their target. We will let them plan their attack. We will let them walk right into our house."
An aide appeared at the door. "Director, The Warden has been… stabilized. He is requesting an audience."
"Denied," The Director said without looking up. "The Warden is a relic. His time is over. He can spend his remaining days contemplating the cost of sentimentality." She turned her full attention back to the screen. She was not hunting a rogue agent anymore. She was setting a trap for the future of her organization, and she would use their parents' legacy as the bait.