Chapter 6 - The Server Room
Clara watched Leo slide down the laundry chute, ensuring his escape. Then, she unlocked the steel door and stepped out.
The two guards were standing right there, flashlights raised.
"Ms. Clara?" the lead guard asked, confused. "What are you doing down here? Mr. Marcus is looking everywhere for you."
"I was looking for a place to hide," Clara lied smoothly, acting like a terrified bride. "The alarm... the intruder. I panicked. Please, take me to Arthur Sterling's private office. I need a secure line to draft a press statement."
The guards, conditioned to obey the company executives, nodded and escorted her up to the executive suite on the fourth floor of the palace.
Once inside Arthur's office, she locked the door and pulled the blinds.
The Sterling real estate servers were housed directly beneath the desk. Clara logged into the terminal using her executive credentials. If Maya had geological surveys proving the land was toxic, Arthur and Marcus would have digitized them to know exactly what they were trying to hide.
Clara bypassed the standard firewalls using a backdoor she had installed months ago to manage leaked press documents.
She searched for the waterfront development project files. Deep within a hidden folder labeled 'Liability - Redacted', she found them. High-level chemical analysis reports showing lethal levels of carcinogens in the soil. Next to it was an audio file.
Clara put on the headphones and pressed play.
It was a recording from last night. Marcus's voice echoed in her ears.
“You think you can stop a billion-dollar merger with a few pieces of paper, Maya? You're nothing. Just another body in the river.”
May you like
Then, the sickening sound of a struggle, a heavy thud, and silence.
Clara stopped the recording. She downloaded everything onto a secure flash drive on her keychain. She had the weapon. Now, she needed the stage.
