Chapter 3 - The Broadcast
In the grand ballroom, the string quartet abruptly stopped playing.
The cascading diamond chandeliers flickered, then died, plunging the room into total darkness for three terrifying seconds. The elite crowd gasped, murmuring in confusion.
When the lights snapped back on, they were a harsh, blinding white. The decorative screens along the walls—usually displaying abstract art—flickered to life.
On every screen in the ballroom, Evelyn Cross's face appeared. She was broadcasting live from the VIP vault.
"Good evening, Vanguard Society," Evelyn’s voice echoed through the hidden surround-sound speakers, booming over the panicked whispers of the billionaires.
In the vault, Dominic lunged at her, intending to rip the microphone from her ear. But Evelyn sidestepped him, revealing a sleek, matte-black Glock 19 tucked into the waistband of her gown. She didn't draw it, but she rested her hand on the grip. Dominic froze.
"For fifty years," Evelyn spoke to the camera, ignoring him, "this room has been a sanctuary for the corrupt. You have bought politicians, tanked economies, and destroyed millions of lives to add zeroes to your offshore accounts. You thought you were untouchable."
In the ballroom, Senator Vance pushed his way to the front. "This is an outrage! Open the doors!"
"The doors will not open, Senator," Evelyn’s voice answered him directly, chilling the room. "The steel shutters are rated to withstand a C-4 blast. The air conditioning has been disabled. You have enough oxygen for exactly three hours."
Panic erupted. Tycoons rushed to the exit doors, pounding on the impenetrable steel shutters that had descended over the mahogany. Women in diamond necklaces screamed as their cell phones displayed the terrifying 'NO SIGNAL' warning.
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"Quiet!" Evelyn commanded, the volume increasing to a deafening pitch before leveling out. The room fell into a terrified silence.
"You are not hostages," Evelyn said smoothly. "You are participants in a wealth redistribution program. Tonight, the Vanguard Society will pay its debts."
