Chapter 8 - The Desperate Broadcast
The heavy axe cleaved through the plastic and metal of the computer terminal with a sickening crunch.
Sparks flew into the air, and the monitor instantly went completely black.
Claire screamed in frustration, falling backward away from the destroyed machine.
"Did the upload finish?" Jordan asked desperately, gripping his fire extinguisher tightly.
"I don't know, the screen died at ninety percent!" Claire cried out in despair.
Mrs. Whitmore laughed wildly, tossing the ruined axe onto the floor.
"It doesn't matter, nothing left this room, and neither will you," the teacher sneered.
The tactical men stepped forward, raising their weapons to subdue the two teenagers.
Suddenly, a loud, high-pitched screeching sound echoed from the library's overhead public address system.
The speakers clicked on, and a booming, authoritative voice echoed throughout the entire building.
"This is the Federal Bureau of Investigation, drop your weapons and surrender immediately!" the voice commanded.
Mrs. Whitmore froze, her eyes darting toward the ceiling speakers in absolute shock.
The tactical men exchanged nervous glances, slowly lowering their rifles toward the ground.
"It's a trick, shoot them!" Mrs. Whitmore shrieked, losing all her previous composure.
Before the men could react, a flashbang grenade was tossed through the broken server room door.
The blinding white light and deafening explosion forced everyone to drop to the ground in agony.
Federal agents poured into the room, tackling the tactical men and pinning them to the cold floor.
An agent wearing a heavy tactical vest pulled Mrs. Whitmore to her feet and clamped handcuffs tightly around her wrists.
Officer Davis limped into the room, holding his shoulder where a bullet had grazed him.
"You kids did good, the upload went through just seconds before she smashed the computer," Davis smiled through his pain.
Claire and Jordan hugged each other tightly, crying tears of absolute relief.
An FBI director approached them, holding a secure tablet showing the downloaded files.
"You have provided us with enough evidence to arrest the Mayor, the Chief of Police, and half the school board," the director stated.
It felt like the massive nightmare was finally over, and justice was swiftly taking control.
As the agents led Mrs. Whitmore away in handcuffs, she turned her head and looked directly at Claire.
May you like
Instead of looking defeated or angry, the disgraced teacher smiled a chilling, knowing smile.
"You really should have checked the secondary ledger, Claire," Mrs. Whitmore whispered cryptically before being shoved out the door.
