Chapter 7 - The Live Broadcast
I did not press the detonator button immediately.
I simply watched the helicopter become a small, blinking light in the distance.
"Why aren't you blowing them out of the sky?" Abigail asked, wiping the tears from her bruised cheeks.
"Because dead men cannot stand trial for treason, and I want the entire world to see their faces when they fall," I explained.
I helped my unconscious operatives off the ground and loaded everyone back into the armored van.
We drove to a secure underground communications bunker hidden deep beneath Fort Liberty.
"They took the bait perfectly," my tech specialist reported, typing furiously on his keyboards.
The silver briefcase I had given them was equipped with a localized EMP and a forced data-link transmitter.
When Nicholas opened that briefcase in the safety of his mansion, it would automatically hack his entire home network.
"Are we ready to go live?" I asked, looking at the massive wall of monitors in the bunker.
"Ready on your command, Colonel," the specialist confirmed.
I nodded, and he hit the execution key.
Every major news network, social media platform, and financial news channel in the country suddenly flickered.
Normal programming was completely interrupted by a live, high-definition video feed from inside the Ferguson mansion.
Nicholas, Gregory, and Patricia were sitting around a lavish dining table, celebrating their apparent victory.
"The stupid Colonel actually surrendered," Patricia laughed loudly, sipping an expensive glass of champagne.
"Tomorrow morning, we finalize the drone codes with the foreign buyers and make three billion dollars," Nicholas bragged.
The entire nation was currently watching them confess to high treason in real-time.
"Now, activate the data dump," I ordered.
Every single classified document, offshore bank account number, and bribery receipt they possessed was instantly emailed to every major news outlet.
We watched on the monitors as Nicholas's cell phone suddenly began ringing frantically.
Then Patricia's phone rang.
Then Gregory's.
The realization slowly dawned on their horrified faces as they checked their screens and saw their own live broadcast.
"They are completely ruined," Abigail smiled, a look of immense relief washing over her.
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But the celebration in our bunker was cut violently short.
The heavy steel doors of our secure room were suddenly blown open by a massive explosive charge.
