Chapter 6 - The Loophole
The blinding glare of tactical flashlights pierced the hospital lobby.
A dozen local SWAT officers blocked the main exit, their weapons trained directly on me, Grant, and Major Hart.
The corrupt police chief stood safely behind the wall of armored men, holding a megaphone.
“Colonel Ward, you are ordered to stand down and surrender your weapons.”
“You have no authority to leave this building or assault private citizens.”
I didn't slow my pace.
I marched directly toward the line of rifles, holding up Preston’s master keycard for the chief to see.
“Chief, you might want to call your political handlers before you make a fatal mistake.”
I pointed to the federal cybercrimes investigator standing right behind me.
“We are currently tracking a massive cyber-terrorism attack stealing federal funds.”
“Under the Patriot Act and National Security Directive 51, any local law enforcement officer interfering with an active federal terrorism extraction is guilty of treason.”
The chief lowered his megaphone, his arrogant expression faltering.
“If you pull those triggers, you aren't cops defending a mansion.”
“You are enemy combatants engaging United States military personnel on federal soil.”
The SWAT commander, a seasoned veteran who clearly didn't want to die for a billionaire's bribe, slowly lowered his rifle.
He looked at the chief with deep disgust.
“I’m not starting a war with the Army over Vivienne Calder's bank accounts.”
The SWAT commander stepped aside, and his men instantly followed his lead, parting like the Red Sea.
We rushed past the trembling police chief and piled into an unmarked federal tactical SUV.
Major Hart took the wheel, slamming her foot onto the gas pedal.
The massive SUV tore through the hospital parking lot and sped toward the Calder estate.
Grant sat in the back, rapidly typing code into the investigator's encrypted laptop.
“The transfer is at eighty percent,” Grant warned, his fingers flying across the keys.
“The server is located in the sub-basement vault, directly beneath the main wine cellar.”
We approached the sprawling, gated Calder mansion in less than ten minutes.
As promised, local police cruisers were parked everywhere, completely barricading the main driveway.
“Hold on,” Major Hart yelled.
Instead of hitting the brakes, she veered the heavy SUV off the paved road.
We crashed through the expensive manicured hedges, bypassing the police barricade entirely.
The SUV slammed into the side of the guest house, shattering the brick facade and coming to a violent halt.
I kicked my door open, drawing my sidearm as alarms began to shriek across the estate.
Grant led us through the debris, swiping Preston’s keycard on a hidden panel behind a crushed marble statue.
A heavy steel door slid open, revealing a dark, descending concrete tunnel.
We sprinted down the tunnel, our footsteps echoing loudly in the suffocating silence.
We reached the massive vault door leading to the server room.
Grant keyed in a twelve-digit passcode, and the heavy metal locks violently disengaged.
I pushed the door open, my weapon raised and ready for a firefight.
But the server room was completely empty of guards.
Sitting at the master terminal was Vivienne’s personal fixer, a ruthless man named Silas.
Silas wasn't typing on the keyboard.
He was frantically pouring highly corrosive acid onto stacks of paper documents.
When he saw us, Silas didn't reach for a gun.
He simply smiled, revealing a mouthful of gold teeth, and held up a small remote detonator.
“You’re just in time for the fireworks, Colonel.”
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Behind Silas, strapped directly to the massive main server tower, was a block of military-grade C4 explosive.
The glowing red digital timer on the bomb read exactly forty-five seconds.
