Chapter 17 - The BroadcastThe recording began transmitting.
Arthur Vale's confession.
Names.
Bank accounts.
Photographs.
Evidence.
Everything.
Richard had connected the vault system to an emergency network before they entered.
Ruiz activated it.
The files were being copied to multiple servers.
Thomas stared at the screen.
“You think this changes anything?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Thomas walked toward Ethan.
“You still don't understand power.”
Ethan didn't move.
“I understand fear.”
Thomas stopped.
“You've been afraid of me your whole life.”
“I was.”
“And now?”
Ethan looked at him.
“Now I'm angry.”
Thomas smiled.
“Anger is useless.”
Adam stepped beside Ethan.
“Not when you're not alone.”
Thomas looked at him.
For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.
Sirens erupted outside.
Dozens of vehicles.
Federal agents.
News crews.
Police.
Someone had leaked the archive.
The truth was spreading.
Thomas's empire was collapsing in real time.
He turned toward the exit.
Ruiz blocked him.
“End of the road.”
Thomas laughed.
“You think handcuffs can stop me?”
Ruiz smiled.
“No.”
She nodded toward Ethan.
“They can stop you long enough.”
Thomas understood.
The public now knew.
He couldn't disappear again.
Unless he created another corpse.
His eyes shifted toward Ethan.
Then toward the gun in Richard's hand.
Richard raised it.
“Don't.”
Thomas suddenly lunged.
He grabbed Ethan.
Adam attacked him.
The vault erupted into chaos.
Daniel fired.
The bullet struck the ceiling.
Thomas pulled Ethan toward the stairs.
Ethan fought.
Then Claire's voice came through the speakers.
“Ethan!”
Thomas froze.
The live feed showed Claire.
She had escaped.
She was standing outside the house beside police officers.
The countdown was fake.
A trap.
Thomas looked at Ethan.
“You planned this?”
Ethan shook his head.
“My mom did.”
Thomas stared at Claire on the screen.
She looked directly at him.
“You underestimated my son.”
Thomas smiled.
“You're still protecting him.”
Claire's expression hardened.
“That's what mothers do.”
Thomas ran.
Ruiz chased him.
He reached the roof.
Police surrounded the building.
No escape.
Thomas looked at the city.
Thousands of lights stretched into the distance.
He whispered:
“I built all of this.”
Ruiz approached.
“No.”
Thomas turned.
“You inherited it.”
She lowered her weapon.
“From people you destroyed.”
Thomas smiled.
Then stepped backward.
For one terrible second, Ethan thought he would jump.
But Thomas stopped.
A helicopter descended overhead.
A spotlight swallowed him.
The man who had controlled politicians was finally surrounded by people with cameras.
He raised his hands.
And surrendered.
But before officers handcuffed him, he looked directly at Ethan.
“This isn't over.”
Ethan stared.
Thomas smiled.
“Because the people you exposed?”
May you like
He laughed.
“They're going to come for you.”
