Chapter 7 - The Hostage Exchange
They stole a car and drove into the industrial outskirts of Gary, Indiana, holing up in a decaying, abandoned motel. Julian plugged the decrypted drive into his laptop.
The data was explosive. Vanguard wasn't just laundering money for cartels; they were financing political campaigns for three active U.S. Senators and a high-ranking official in the Department of Defense. It was a conspiracy that threatened the foundations of the government.
"We can't just leak this to a blog," Julian muttered, staring at the screen. "We need to send it to the FBI, the NSA, the New York Times, everyone simultaneously."
Before Elena could respond, Julian's burner phone rang.
He answered it.
"Mr. Hayes," Silas's cold, smooth voice echoed through the speaker. "You are quite resourceful. But I have a proposition for you."
"I'm not negotiating with the man who murdered Marcus," Julian spat.
"You will," Silas replied. "Because while you and Elena were fleeing the meatpacking plant, I didn't chase you. I paid a visit to Elena's younger sister in Evanston. I have her in the back of my SUV."
Elena’s face drained of blood. She grabbed the phone. "If you touch her, I will kill you!"
"The drive for the girl," Silas said, completely unfazed by the threat. "Tonight. The old shipping yards at Navy Pier. Come alone, Julian. Or the girl dies."
The line went dead.
May you like
Elena collapsed onto the motel bed, sobbing uncontrollably. Julian looked at the titanium drive. If they gave it to Silas, they would all die anyway. Vanguard left no loose ends.
"We're not giving them the data," Julian said, his voice cold and resolute. "We're giving them a bomb."
