Chapter 4 - The Ransom
I froze as the federal agent locked the car doors from a remote switch in his hand.
The man I had just trusted with my life was pointing a weapon directly at my chest.
"Miller?" I whispered, my mind struggling to process the betrayal.
"You are working for Adrian?"
Miller offered a cold, indifferent smile.
"Adrian pays much better than the federal government, Clara."
"Take the tracker out of your shoe and throw it out the window."
I hesitated, calculating my chances of surviving a physical fight in the backseat.
He pressed the cold steel of the silencer against my collarbone.
"Do it now, or I will shoot you and bury your sister myself," he threatened.
I reached into my shoe, removed the small plastic disc, and tossed it out the cracked window.
The driver of the sedan hit the gas, speeding away from the cathedral and the police barricades.
"Where is Sarah?" I demanded, my hands shaking uncontrollably.
"She is safe at a secure location," Miller lied smoothly.
"But that depends entirely on you."
"Adrian's mother wants the physical backup of the master ledger."
I stared at him in confusion.
"The backup is on the encrypted flash drive Sarah had in the bouquet," I said.
Miller laughed mockingly.
"Do not play stupid with me, Clara."
"We searched your sister."
"She did not have the flash drive."
"She claimed you never put it in the bouquet in the first place."
My heart hammered against my ribs.
If Sarah did not have the drive, then where was it?
I realized with absolute horror that I had left it sitting on the bathroom counter in the bridal suite.
"I need you to log into the offshore accounts and transfer the funds back to Adrian's shell companies," Miller ordered.
He handed me a sleek, encrypted laptop.
"You have twenty minutes to undo the damage you caused today."
"If you refuse, I will make a phone call, and Sarah will be executed."
I opened the laptop, my mind racing through possible escape routes.
I knew that once I transferred the money, I would be entirely useless to them.
They would kill us both regardless of my cooperation.
I pretended to type my login credentials, stalling for time.
"I need a two-factor authentication code sent to my phone," I lied.
Miller frowned but kept the gun pointed at me.
"Do it quickly."
I pulled out my phone, but I did not open my messages.
I opened the remote access application connected to my apartment's smart home system.
I had wired the entire security network myself.
I typed in a master override code and pressed a single red button on the screen.
The laptop on my lap suddenly sparked violently.
A massive surge of electricity shot through the keyboard, shocking my hands and frying the motherboard instantly.
Smoke billowed into the confined space of the car.
May you like
Miller cursed loudly, dropping his gun to wipe the thick smoke from his burning eyes.
I grabbed the heavy door handle and pulled with all my strength.
