Chapter 18 - The Last MeetingJulian was taken to an underground command center beneath a skyscraper.
The room was circular.
Screens surrounded him.
At the center sat a man.
Older.
Elegant.
Calm.
The senator.
Alive.
Julian stared.
“You're the senator.”
The man smiled.
“Yes.”
“You built Meridian.”
“No.”
“I don't believe you.”
“You shouldn't.”
The senator stood.
“Meridian was built by frightened men who believed they could save democracy by controlling it.”
He walked toward Julian.
“Then they discovered control was addictive.”
“Why me?”
“Because your father believed you could repair what they broke.”
Julian laughed.
“My father lied to me.”
“Your father lied to everyone.”
The senator placed a folder on the table.
Inside were documents proving everything.
Julian's father.
Meredith's mother.
Frank Vance.
Helena.
Adrian.
All connected.
But one name appeared repeatedly.
Julian.
He stared.
“My name was added later.”
The senator shook his head.
“No.”
“It says I was selected at age sixteen.”
“Yes.”
“Who selected me?”
“Your mother.”
Julian felt the room tilt.
“My mother?”
“She believed you were stronger than Adrian.”
Julian's voice broke.
“And Meredith?”
The senator looked at him.
“She was your mother's greatest mistake.”
Julian frowned.
“Why?”
“Because your mother believed Meredith was loyal to the family.”
“But?”
“She was loyal to truth.”
The senator sat down.
“You can destroy Meridian.”
“How?”
“By becoming its leader.”
Julian laughed.
“You're insane.”
“Then prove me wrong.”
The door opened.
Meredith walked inside.
Julian stared.
“How did you get here?”
She smiled.
“I followed the truth.”
The senator looked at her.
“You shouldn't have come.”
Meredith approached.
“You've been using us for decades.”
“Yes.”
“Then it ends.”
She placed the archive on the table.
“The world gets everything.”
The senator's expression changed.
“Do you understand what happens?”
“Everyone falls.”
“Yes.”
“Then let them.”
She opened the archive.
Every screen around them began uploading the evidence.
Names.
Payments.
Recordings.
Confessions.
The entire Meridian network appeared.
Across the world, phones began receiving the files.
Julian looked at Meredith.
“You did it.”
She shook her head.
“We did.”
Then every screen went black.
One final message appeared.
MERIDIAN IS DEAD.
Meredith exhaled.
But the senator smiled.
“Not yet.”
A second message appeared.
ARCHITECT ACTIVE.
Julian stared.
“What?”
The senator looked at him.
“Someone else activated the final protocol.”
Meredith turned toward the door.
Genevieve stood there.
Blood on her sleeve.
She whispered:
“It was Helena.”
Meredith felt dread crawl through her.
“Where is she?”
Genevieve looked toward the window.
Then said:
May you like
“On her way here.”
The elevator began descending.
