Chapter 6 - The Hostage Situation
Two large security guards in black suits dragged Bradley away from the broken window.
Jordan and Eli watched in horror from the sidewalk below as their friend was pulled back into the gas-filled room.
They could not climb back up the smooth building exterior to save him.
Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder with every passing second.
Eli grabbed Jordan's arm and pulled him into a dark alleyway to hide from the approaching police cars.
They leaned against a cold brick wall, panting heavily and trying to process their massive failure.
They had lost the physical deportation files, the bribery evidence, and their only ally on the inside.
Jordan sank to the ground in despair, burying his face in his hands.
He realized his mother was going to be deported and his life was completely over.
Eli pulled out his laptop and tried to access the school's server to find another way to expose Mrs. Whitmore.
The screen flashed a bright red warning message before completely shutting down.
Mrs. Whitmore's expensive lawyers had already filed a digital injunction, freezing all of Eli's personal devices.
They were completely cut off from the internet and their evidence.
Eli remembered that he had secretly copied the video file onto a physical USB drive and hidden it in his locker.
If they could get to the school before dawn, they could broadcast the video during the morning announcements.
They sprinted miles across the dark city, arriving at the high school just as the sun began to rise.
They broke a small basement window and squeezed into the silent building.
They crept through the empty hallways, constantly watching for the night janitor.
Eli quickly spun the combination dial on his metal locker and pulled the door open.
He reached his hand into the very back of the top shelf to grab the hidden flash drive.
His fingers touched nothing but empty air.
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He looked inside and saw a small, handwritten note resting on top of his textbooks.
The note simply read, "Did you really think I wouldn't check your locker?"
