Chapter 10 - The Flash Drive
Arthur Vance kept his weapon trained precisely on his own child's chest.
His tailored suit was immaculate, completely contrasting with the dirty, smoke-covered boys in front of him.
"Give me your phone, Caleb, and I promise I will let your friend live," Arthur demanded coldly.
Caleb looked at his father with absolute disgust and profound heartbreak.
He finally realized his dad truly cared more about his stolen millions than his own flesh and blood.
"You are a monster, Dad, and you are not getting anything from me," Caleb spat.
Before Arthur could pull the trigger, deafening sirens suddenly wailed in the distance.
The sirens grew incredibly loud, echoing aggressively from every single direction.
Mr. Henderson had managed to trigger his federal emergency distress beacon while trapped in the pit.
Dozens of armored FBI vehicles smashed violently through the front school gates, swarming the parking lot.
Arthur panicked, dropping the gun to the pavement and falling to his knees in defeat.
Heavily armed agents swarmed the area, throwing Arthur aggressively onto the hood of a cruiser.
Another squad entered the school and dragged a handcuffed, screaming Mrs. Baxter out of the building.
Paramedics quickly wrapped warm thermal blankets around Caleb and Malik, treating them for severe smoke inhalation.
Mr. Henderson limped over to the back of the ambulance and gave the boys a tired, grateful smile.
"You kids did good today, the money laundering ring is permanently destroyed."
A few weeks later, the school district officially awarded Malik the Sterling Scholarship he rightfully deserved.
Caleb finally felt a deep sense of peace, knowing his corrupt father was locked in a federal penitentiary forever.
He sat on his front porch, enjoying the quiet neighborhood breeze and sipping a cold soda.
Suddenly, his new, highly secure cell phone buzzed in his pocket with a strange text message notification.
He opened the message to find a crystal-clear photograph of his little sister sleeping peacefully in her bed.
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The text below the horrifying picture was sent from an untraceable international number.
It read: "Your father was just a lowly middleman, Caleb, and you still owe us our money."
