Chapter 6 - The City of Lies
Beatrice drove the Sheriff’s cruiser toward the city, the red and blue lights reflecting off the wet pavement like bleeding wounds. She was heading to the "Safe House," a nondescript apartment in the city center that she had maintained since the 90s.
She had the unconscious Sheriff in the trunk and a sedated Lucas in the back seat. As she drove, she used the police radio to broadcast a "Situation Report" to the FBI’s regional office, but she kept it encrypted, using a pre-agreed-upon code from her active-duty files. It was a gamble—she didn't know if her old contacts were still in place—but she had to bet on the system.
When she reached the city, she realized the scope of the problem. Checkpoints were set up on the outskirts. The news was already reporting that she was the one who had kidnapped Leo and assaulted a police officer. Lucas had friends in high places; he had already spun the narrative before he was even captured.
She pulled into an underground garage, dragging the two men into the safe house. It was a sterile, windowless space equipped with a secure terminal. She woke the Sheriff by dumping a bucket of cold water on him.
"Where is it?" she demanded, pinning him against the wall. "The physical ledger. The one Sarah died for."
"I... I don't know," the Sheriff stammered, terrified. "He keeps it in a vault at the museum. The fundraiser tonight... it’s not just a party, Beatrice. It’s the hand-off. The Syndicate is meeting him there to collect the data."
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Beatrice checked the clock. 8:00 P.M. The gala started in two hours. She looked at the screen of her terminal. Her old contact, "Echo," had responded to her ping.
Colonel. We thought you were dead. The files are uploading to the Department of Justice now. You have one hour before the connection is severed by the Syndicate’s firewall. Get to the museum.
