Chapter 18 - Ten Minutes to Burn an EmpireAdrian pulled me behind a concrete pillar.
Bullets tore through the warehouse.
Toby vanished into smoke.
Daniel returned fire.
Victor escaped through a side door.
The countdown continued.
Nine minutes.
Eight.
Seven.
The drive in Adrian’s hand began blinking.
“What's happening?”
“Dead-man release,” he said.
“If we destroy it?”
“It uploads automatically.”
“Then why are they shooting at us?”
“Because Victor wants the system shut down at its source.”
“Where?”
Adrian looked at the drive.
“Duca Tower.”
Of course.
The company headquarters.
The central server.
The heart of the empire.
We ran.
By the time we reached the tower, news crews had already gathered outside.
Screens around Times Square began displaying Duca financial records.
Politicians were being named.
Judges.
Police officers.
Executives.
Black Ledger was spilling into the world.
Victor had one chance.
Destroy the central server.
We entered through the service entrance.
Adrian looked at me.
“Stay with me.”
“I’m done staying behind you.”
He almost smiled.
“Good.”
We reached the server floor.
Victor was waiting.
He held a gun to Toby’s head.
Toby was bleeding.
“You lose,” Adrian said.
Victor smiled.
“No.”
He pointed at me.
“She loses.”
I froze.
Victor pressed the gun against Toby’s temple.
“Come here.”
Adrian whispered:
“Don’t.”
I stepped forward.
Victor smiled.
“Good girl.”
He grabbed my arm.
Then Toby moved.
He slammed his head backward into Victor’s nose.
The gun fired.
Toby collapsed.
I screamed.
Adrian fired.
Victor stumbled.
For one second, everything stopped.
Then Victor looked at me.
Blood running down his face.
“You still don’t know what your mother did.”
“What?”
“She didn’t save you.”
He smiled.
“She chose you.”
May you like
Then he pulled a lever.
The entire server floor caught fire.
