Chapter 9 - The Arrest
The heavy brass doors of the Atrium were kicked open from the outside.
The storm raged behind them as two dozen heavily armed FBI agents, flanked by the NYPD, flooded into the ballroom. They had received the data dump Eleanor had routed through the servers an hour ago.
"Arthur Hawthorne!" the lead agent barked over the chaos. "You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, wire fraud, and grand larceny!"
Arthur tried to run, but there was nowhere to go. The agents slammed the titan of industry against the marble wall, aggressively clicking heavy steel handcuffs around his wrists.
From the grand staircase, Eleanor descended.
She walked slowly, her ruined silver gown trailing behind her, her feet bare, but her posture that of a conquering queen. Silas walked a step behind her, a protective shadow.
Arthur looked up at her as he was dragged toward the door. His eyes were wide with a mixture of terror and disbelief.
"You're a monster," Arthur spat, the rain blowing in from the open doors hitting his face.
Eleanor stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking down at the man who had destroyed her childhood.
May you like
"No, Arthur," Eleanor said softly, but with enough force to cut through the noise of the storm. "I am a Vanguard. And we always collect our debts."
She watched with cold satisfaction as the police shoved Arthur Hawthorne into the back of a squad car, the red and blue sirens washing out the flashing cameras of the paparazzi.
