Chapter 7: The Ultimatum
Captain Hayes stared down at Clara with a look of cold calculation. He didn't rush to pull out a key, nor did he express any outrage at the sight of a young girl shackled to a wooden post. He simply stood there, his hands resting casually in the pockets of his gray jacket, digesting the scene with chilling composure.
"So," Hayes said softly, his voice barely audible over the rustle of the wind in the trees. "The missing thumb drive. It’s right here, isn't it? Sitting in her head."
Arthur mounted the stairs quickly, positioning himself between Hayes and his daughter. "This has nothing to do with you, Hayes. Handle this through the department, or let me deal with it."
"Deal with it?" Hayes let out a short, humorless laugh. "Arthur, you've already botched the handling. If she has those files—if she managed to export the encrypted ledgers—then our entire operation is compromised. Do you have any idea what the federal task force will do to us if those documents hit a desk in the capital?"
"I don't care about your operation," Arthur growled, his voice dropping an octave as his hand twitched toward his hip. "You used my name. You forged my authorization. You made me an accessory to your theft."
"We are partners, Arthur," Hayes said, stepping closer, his voice sharpening. "You took the envelope every month just like the rest of us. Don't play the honest cop now. It doesn't suit your uniform."
Clara raised her head, her eyes burning with fury as she looked between the two men. "He didn't want your money, Hayes. He told you to stop six months ago."
Hayes shot a sharp, dismissive glance down at Clara. "Quiet, girl. Adults are talking."
"Don't you talk to her like that," Arthur snarled, taking a threatening step toward his captain.
Before the confrontation could escalate further, the front door swung open, and Evelyn stepped out onto the porch. She had changed into a dark cardigan over her white shirt, her hair still pulled back neatly, but her face was pale as paper. She took in the scene—Hayes blocking the porch, Arthur tense and ready to draw his weapon, and Clara chained to the pillar.
"Captain," Evelyn said, her voice remarkably steady despite the terror in her eyes. "You shouldn't be here. If someone followed you—"
"No one followed me," Hayes interrupted, his eyes fixed on Evelyn. "And no one is going anywhere until we solve this little problem. Arthur doesn't have the stomach to do what needs to be done. So I'm taking charge."
Arthur’s heart hammered against his ribs. "What does that mean, Hayes?"
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Hayes didn't answer immediately. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, heavy black object, placing it down on the wooden railing near Clara’s head. It was a digital burner phone.
"It means," Hayes said slowly, "we clean the slate tonight. Or we all go down together."
