Chapter 5 - The Missing Piece
I slammed on the brakes, pulling the car onto a wet shoulder.
The rain hammered against the windshield like angry fists.
I told him the flash drive was in my purse the whole time.
I grabbed my bag from the center console and tore open the hidden pocket.
It was empty.
I dug frantically through old receipts, lipsticks, and baby wipes.
The black piece of plastic that held my leverage was gone.
I realized Evelyn must have snatched it during the chaos in the aisle.
Julian cursed and slammed his hand against the dashboard.
He said Evelyn would destroy the drive and erase all evidence of her embezzlement.
He said she would consolidate her power by morning.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to think clearly.
I looked at Julian and told him to relax.
I smiled slightly.
I told him I was not stupid enough to carry the original copy to a grocery store.
Julian stared at me in surprise.
I explained that the drive in my purse was just a decoy loaded with a vicious computer virus.
If Evelyn plugged it into the Whitaker corporate server, it would wipe their mainframe entirely.
Julian let out a loud, genuine laugh.
He said I was much smarter than Daniel ever deserved.
I put the car back into gear and merged onto the highway.
I asked him where we were going next.
He gave me the address of a secure hotel in downtown Portland.
He said he had a laptop there, and we could upload the real documents to the press.
We drove in silence for twenty minutes.
Lily finally fell asleep in the backseat, exhausted by the crying.
I glanced at the rearview mirror to check on her.
That was when I noticed the sleek black SUV tailing us.
It changed lanes exactly when I did.
It matched my speed perfectly.
I told Julian we were being followed.
He looked out the side mirror and cursed under his breath.
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He said Evelyn didn't send security after us.
He said she sent the cleaner.
