Chapter 9 - The Decoy
The federal agent stared at the second flash drive in absolute awe.
My mother laughed and kissed my forehead, calling me the bravest girl in the world.
She explained that the first drive was completely filled with aggressive computer viruses.
If my father plugged it into his syndicate's network, it would destroy his entire system.
The agent immediately plugged the real drive into his secure laptop.
The screen populated with thousands of documents, offshore accounts, and video evidence.
It was everything they needed to put my father away for multiple lifetimes.
The radio on the agent's shoulder suddenly crackled to life.
A search team reported that they had found my father hiding in an abandoned barn near the highway.
They also reported that he had taken a hostage during his escape.
My heart sank as I realized Chloe was never arrested with the mercenaries.
My father had dragged his own wife into the barn to use as a human shield.
The lead agent ordered the tactical truck to move toward the barn's location.
We arrived at the crumbling wooden structure surrounded by dozens of armed federal agents.
My father was screaming from inside, demanding a helicopter and a clear path to the border.
He threatened to shoot Chloe if his demands were not met immediately.
The agent used his megaphone to tell my father that his empire was already destroyed.
He announced that they had the real flash drive and his financial network was currently burning.
Silence fell over the old barn for a long, agonizing minute.
Then, the barn doors slowly creaked open.
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Chloe walked out with her hands raised high in the air.
She was holding my father's silver pistol by the barrel.
