Chapter 9 - The Legacy Reclaimed
Ethan slammed his foot on the gas pedal, weaving recklessly through the heavy afternoon city traffic.
"They know exactly where we are going," I said, staring at the disconnected phone screen in pure horror.
"Claire gave up the location to save herself."
"It doesn't matter," Ethan replied, his eyes fixed dead ahead on the rain-slicked road.
"I designed the Blackridge security system three years ago when we were still dating."
"I know every single blind spot in that building."
We arrived at the towering glass headquarters of Blackridge Holdings, skidding to a halt in the empty underground parking garage.
The massive building was completely dark, operating on a skeleton crew due to the pending merger.
We sprinted to the private executive elevator, and Ethan bypassed the security scanner using a master code he had memorized years ago.
The elevator doors opened onto the fiftieth floor, revealing the sprawling, silent server room housed behind thick glass walls.
"Plug the drive into the main terminal while I lock down the floor's blast doors," Ethan ordered, rushing toward the security panel.
I ran into the freezing server room, my hands shaking as I inserted the silver flash drive into the primary console.
Lines of complex code immediately flooded the massive monitor, executing Special Agent Sterling's federal encryption program.
"Wire transfer intercepted," the computer chimed mechanically in the quiet room.
"Rerouting fifty million dollars to United States Department of Treasury holding account."
I watched the progress bar inch across the screen: twenty percent, forty percent, sixty percent.
Suddenly, a heavy gunshot shattered the thick glass wall of the server room.
I screamed and dropped to the floor as a shower of broken glass rained down on my shoulders.
Marcus Vance stepped through the shattered opening, his custom suit covered in rain and courthouse dust.
Claire walked in right behind him, looking entirely smug and completely untouched by the chaos.
"Cancel the reroute, Nora, or I will put a bullet in your spine," Marcus commanded, aiming his weapon down at me.
"The transfer is already at ninety percent, you arrogant monster," I spat back, refusing to break eye contact.
"You are too late."
Marcus snarled in pure rage, raising his pistol to execute me.
But before he could pull the trigger, the server room's fire suppression system violently activated.
A blinding, high-pressure blast of thick white halon gas erupted from the ceiling vents directly above Marcus and Claire.
Marcus staggered backward, dropping his weapon as he choked on the chemical retardant.
Ethan leaped from the shadows, driving his shoulder into Marcus's chest and pinning him brutally to the wet floor.
Claire tried to run, screaming in terror, but she slipped on the broken glass and crashed hard into the server racks.
"Transfer complete," the computer chimed peacefully through the white fog.
The cartel money was officially gone, safely seized by the federal government.
The heavy blast doors at the end of the hallway suddenly blew open, and a dozen heavily armed FBI SWAT agents swarmed into the room.
Special Agent Sterling walked in behind them, a bloody bandage wrapped tightly around his forehead.
"Marcus Vance, you are under arrest for federal racketeering, money laundering, and attempted murder," Sterling announced, pulling out his handcuffs.
I slowly stood up from the floor, brushing the shattered glass off my ruined power suit, and looked down at my younger sister.
May you like
Claire was weeping hysterically on the ground, begging the federal agents not to arrest her.
I simply turned my back on her and walked into my husband's arms.
