Chapter 7 - The Fugitives
Benjamin and Sarah worked through the night, cross-referencing the documents with the transcript of Sophie’s confession. They had enough to bury the Senator, but they had to get the information to the right hands—the federal authorities, not the local police who were clearly compromised.
"We have to go to the regional FBI field office in Burlington," Sarah said, loading her gear into her car. "If we go to the media first, he’ll kill the story before it breathes."
They left at dawn, but the road was a gauntlet. The Senator’s influence was pervasive; they saw state police cruisers parked at every major intersection. Benjamin realized that the Senator wasn't just running for governor; he was actively consolidating power to ensure he would never face justice.
They were forced to ditch the car when a roadblock appeared on the highway. They took to the back trails, the dense Vermont forest their only cover. Benjamin felt the exhaustion pulling at his limbs, but the image of Sophie’s bandaged feet pushed him forward.
"He won’t stop, Sarah," Benjamin said, pausing to look back at the distant highway. "He knows I have the files. He’ll burn this state down to keep them from surfacing."
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"Then we make sure they surface everywhere at once," Sarah replied, holding up a high-capacity drive. "I’ve encrypted this to automatically upload to every major news outlet and the FBI’s public tip line at noon today. Even if they kill us, the truth goes live."
They were close to the city limits now, the sound of sirens echoing in the distance. They were no longer just running; they were closing in on the final act of a war they hadn't expected to fight. The Senator thought he was playing a game of chess, but he had forgotten that his opponent was a journalist who had nothing left to lose.
