Chapter 6 - The Setup
I froze completely, expecting the security guard to shout for my immediate arrest.
Instead, the woman stepped closer and leaned in, keeping her voice to a barely audible whisper.
She told me not to panic, stating that her name was Special Agent Riley from the FBI.
Riley explained that she had been working undercover at the corporate office for six months to build a case against Daniel.
She had witnessed the chaotic shootout at the train station and had been tracking my movements ever since.
Riley revealed that the federal bureau knew about the massive money laundering operation.
However, they lacked the crucial digital ledger required to prove Daniel's direct involvement in the cartel scheme.
She looked me dead in the eyes and asked if I had the silver flash drive.
I nodded slowly, keeping my hand hovering near the hidden slit in my dress where my gun rested.
I told Riley I would only hand over the evidence if she helped me destroy Daniel publicly tonight.
Riley smiled a sharp, dangerous smile and agreed to my terms without hesitation.
She handed me a small earpiece, instructing me to follow her toward the restricted security corridors of the museum.
We slipped past the oblivious, wealthy guests and bypassed a digital lock using Riley's federal clearance codes.
We entered the museum's heavily fortified server room, surrounded by towering racks of blinking mainframes.
I pulled the silver flash drive from my clutch and plugged it into the primary terminal.
Riley rapidly typed on the keyboard, initiating a total reversal of the fifty million dollar offshore transfer.
The progress bar on the computer screen slowly crept toward one hundred percent.
We were mere seconds away from draining Daniel's illegal accounts and ruining his cartel partnerships.
The progress bar hit ninety percent.
Suddenly, the heavy steel door of the server room slammed shut with a deafening metallic clang.
The electronic lock beeped aggressively, glowing bright red to indicate a total manual override.
Riley drew her service weapon and rushed to the door, pounding her fist against the impenetrable steel.
A hissing sound echoed from the ceiling vents above our heads.
Thick, yellow toxic gas began pouring rapidly into the enclosed, airtight room.
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Daniel’s voice crackled mockingly over the server room’s intercom system.
"You really thought I wouldn't monitor my own servers, Claire?" he laughed coldly.
