Chapter 14 - The Prison Riot
Thousands of files begin populating Liam's monitors.
It is a massive, decentralized ledger.
Offshore bank accounts in the Cayman Islands, shell corporations in Panama, and highly detailed blackmail files on federal judges, senators, and powerful corporate executives.
"Emma," Liam whispers, his face glowing pale in the monitor's light.
"This is not just a money-laundering operation. This is a shadow government.
Whoever controls this drive controls the people who run the country."
Before we can dig deeper, my phone vibrates aggressively in my pocket.
It is an alert from a major national news network.
I swipe open the notification, and all the blood drains from my face.
The headline reads: Federal Prison Riot Leaves Three Dead, Including Convicted Logistics CEO Richard Whitaker.
I sink onto Liam's bed, gasping for air.
Richard is dead.
The man who raised me, the man who abused me, murdered in a maximum-security prison.
I click on the article. The details are horrifying.
A coordinated riot broke out in the cafeteria. Richard was stabbed multiple times in the chaos.
The article also mentions that on the exact same night, a guard at a different federal facility was arrested for attempting to smuggle a poisoned meal into Daniel Pierce's solitary confinement cell.
"They are cleaning house," I whisper, staring at the screen.
"The people on that drive... they are trying to silence anyone who can testify against them.
They killed Richard. They tried to kill Daniel."
Liam turns away from the computer and looks at me with a startling intensity.
He reaches into his desk drawer and pulls out a sleek, compact firearm.
He checks the magazine and sets it on the desk.
"I think it is time I told you the truth about who I really am, Emma," Liam says, his voice losing all of its casual, collegiate warmth.
I back away toward the bedroom door, my heart pounding.
"Who are you?" I demand.
"I am not just a teaching assistant," Liam confesses.
"My real name is Liam Vance. I am an independent investigative journalist.
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Three years ago, Vanguard Holdings orchestrated a hostile takeover of my family's engineering firm.
When my older sister threatened to blow the whistle on their illegal tactics, she died in a suspicious car crash."
