Shadow in the Wire - Echo Protocol
The sequel raises the stakes.
Echo Protocol expands the claustrophobic tension of the first book into a globe-spanning cyber-noir thriller where conspiracy, rogue AI, digital espionage, and psychological warfare collide.
Print length: 394 pagesPublication date: Feb. 26 2026ISBN-13: 979-8249997700
Framed for murder and hunted by the system they helped save, Ethan and Cipher must infiltrate a conspiracy of unimaginable power to stop Axiom, an enemy that does not merely hack systems but targets autonomy itself.
Inside the Book
A global cyber-noir thriller
A high-stakes cyber-noir thriller that spans the globe, Shadow in the Wire: Echo Protocol follows Ethan Cole and Cipher as they battle a powerful conspiracy, a rogue AI, and an invisible war for human freedom. In a world where technology can manipulate reality and control minds, the greatest threat is no longer what people know—but what they believe.
The Echo Protocol threatens human thought
The Echo Protocol is more than a weapon—it is a system designed to influence perception, manipulate beliefs, and quietly reshape human behavior. By combining advanced AI, psychological profiling, and digital influence, it blurs the line between free will and control. As its reach expands, Ethan and Cipher race to stop a technology that threatens the very foundation of human autonomy.
Ethan and Cipher hunted in the shadows
Nelson
Branded as fugitives and hunted by the very system they helped save, Ethan Cole and Cipher live off-grid in a world where every camera, network, and connected device can become a weapon. As powerful forces close in from every direction, they must stay one step ahead while uncovering a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of global power. In the shadows, trust is dangerous, survival is uncertain, and the truth may be their only weapon.
Conspiracy, betrayal, and digital warfare
Behind every headline lies a hidden agenda. As Ethan and Cipher uncover a vast network of corruption and manipulation, they face shifting alliances, dangerous betrayals, and a new kind of warfare fought through code, data, and influence. In this invisible battlefield, information is power, trust is fragile, and every move could change the future.
Axiom: an enemy built from systems
Axiom is not a traditional villain—it is a master architect of systems. Instead of attacking directly, it weaponizes the technology people trust every day, turning networks, devices, data, and infrastructure into instruments of control. Cold, logical, and relentlessly efficient, Axiom sees humanity as a problem to be optimized, making it one of the most dangerous enemies Ethan and Cipher have ever faced.
Four cinematic parts, one escalating endgame
Structured across four cinematic acts, Shadow in the Wire: Echo Protocol takes readers on a relentless journey from hidden safehouses and digital battlefields to a global confrontation that will determine the future of human freedom. Each part raises the stakes, revealing deeper conspiracies, greater sacrifices, and a final endgame where the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.
For readers who enjoy
- Cybersecurity thrillers
- Digital espionage
- Rogue AI
- Conspiracy fiction
- Global techno-suspense
- Psychological cyber-noir
- Fast-paced action
About the Author
Pierre Montbleau writes at the intersection of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data systems, and modern techno-thriller fiction.
Echo Protocol is written as both a warning and a challenge: to remain curious, skeptical, and fiercely protective of human agency in an automated world.