In a world where democracy's greatest threat hides in plain sight...
Cybersecurity analyst Sarah Bennett discovers an encrypted file linking Senator James Harrison-the charismatic presidential frontrunner championing revolutionary cybersecurity legislation-to five meticulously staged murders spanning two decades.
The classified "Black Protocol" contains surveillance footage, DNA evidence, and financial transactions deliberately buried in the dark web, revealing a pattern of strategic eliminations that paved Harrison's rise to power.
When Sarah's investigation triggers a sophisticated tracking system, she becomes the primary target of former CIA operative Marcus Wade, Harrison's ruthless security chief. Forced underground, Sarah forms an unlikely alliance with Detective Michael Torres, a dogged cop following the same trail of suspicious deaths, and Cameron Walsh, an idealistic journalist carrying on the work of his murdered colleague.
As Wade systematically eliminates anyone who accessed the file, Sarah discovers Black Protocol's true purpose goes far beyond murder and corruption-it's a sophisticated system designed to subvert democracy itself through invisible control of critical infrastructure, including the ability to manipulate election results without detection.
With Harrison's presidential victory seemingly inevitable and system implementation accelerating, Sarah and her allies race against time to expose the conspiracy before it becomes unstoppable. But in a world where digital trails can be erased and truth itself manipulated, their greatest weapon may be the one thing technology can't override-human connection.