CHAPTER 5: The Man Who Ran the Boardroom
CHAPTER 5: The Man Who Ran the Boardroom
The first gunshot shattered the silence.
It didn't come from inside my penthouse.
It came from the hallway.
Marcus immediately killed the lights on his tactical flashlight and motioned everyone away from the front entrance.
"Federal agents?" I whispered.
He shook his head.
"No."
"They would've announced themselves."
Another shot.
Then a scream.
Not from an attacker.
From a building security guard.
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"They're eliminating witnesses."
Whitmore remained unnervingly calm.
"You called the wrong people."
Marcus looked at him.
"No."
"I called exactly the right people."
Whitmore smiled.
"Then why aren't they here?"
Before Marcus could answer, Grace's voice came through the speakerphone.
"I've got the news on."
She sounded terrified.
"Turn on a television."
"We don't have power," I replied.
"It's everywhere online."
"My God..."
"They've arrested the wrong person."
Grace quickly forwarded a livestream to my phone.
The headline filled the screen.
STERLING POINT CAPITAL EXECUTIVE SUSPECTED IN $38 MILLION FRAUD SCHEME
My photograph covered the screen.
Below it, reporters stood outside Sterling Point Capital headquarters.
One anchor spoke urgently.
"Federal authorities are expected to question senior executive Olivia Bennett after evidence surfaced connecting her to multiple shell corporations..."
I felt the room tilt beneath me.
"They're already blaming me."
Grace's voice broke.
"Someone leaked fabricated evidence before we could."
Whitmore folded his hands.
"I warned you."
"Perception always wins the first battle."
Natalie stared at the broadcast in horror.
"No..."
"Those aren't the files I copied."
Whitmore glanced at her.
"Of course not."
"You copied Version Three."
"There were six versions."
She looked as though someone had punched her.
"You used me."
"I used everyone."
Whitmore corrected.
"Brandon."
"Margaret."
"You."
He finally looked at me.
"Even Olivia."
Marcus quietly removed the flash drive from his jacket.
"You've been talking about this all morning."
He placed it on the table.
"But you never actually asked whether this is the original."
Whitmore's eyes narrowed.
Marcus smiled.
"It isn't."
Silence.
Natalie looked at Marcus in confusion.
"What?"
Marcus calmly opened another compartment hidden inside his belt.
From it, he removed a second flash drive.
Identical.
"I switched them while everyone was watching the blackout."
Whitmore's composure cracked.
For the first time, genuine anger flashed across his face.
"You..."
Marcus shrugged.
"Occupational habit."
"The valuable item is never the obvious one."
Whitmore lunged.
Not toward Marcus.
Toward the fake drive.
Marcus anticipated the move instantly.
He stepped aside.
Whitmore stumbled.
His shoulder slammed into the marble dining table.
The fake drive skidded across the floor.
Marcus crushed it beneath his boot.
Plastic exploded into pieces.
Whitmore froze.
Then slowly smiled again.
"You destroyed your own evidence."
Marcus shook his head.
"No."
"I destroyed your hope."
He held up the real drive.
"This one never left my possession."
The hallway erupted with shouting.
"Federal agents!"
"Search warrant!"
"Hands where we can see them!"
Marcus looked toward the door.
"They're here."
Whitmore looked strangely unconcerned.
"They're not coming for me."
The apartment door burst inward.
Five armed agents entered.
Weapons raised.
"Nobody move!"
The lead agent immediately pointed toward me.
"Olivia Bennett..."
Marcus frowned.
"...you're under arrest."
Time seemed to stop.
Grace screamed through the phone.
"What are you doing?"
Natalie looked ready to faint.
Marcus slowly lowered his weapon.
"This is wrong."
The lead agent produced a warrant.
"It came directly from Washington."
Whitmore quietly smiled.
No one noticed except me.
As one agent stepped toward me, another entered carrying a sealed evidence bag.
Inside...
Was my laptop.
The one sitting on my desk.
My stomach dropped.
"That's impossible."
Marcus looked around.
"So where's hers?"
I turned.
My desk.
Empty.
At some point during the blackout...
Someone had switched my computer.
Whitmore softly applauded.
"Excellent work."
The lead agent glanced at him.
"Sir?"
Whitmore smiled.
"I was congratulating your professionalism."
Marcus suddenly understood.
"So that's it."
"The raid wasn't delayed."
"It was infiltrated."
The lead agent's expression hardened.
"Careful, Mr. Ellis."
Marcus stared directly into his eyes.
May you like
"You aren't here to investigate."
"You're here to finish the cover-up."
