Chapter 14
Marcus hauled himself out of the vertical shaft first, rolling onto the damp grass of the riverbank. The sprawling concrete pillars of the municipal bridge loomed overhead, casting long, dark shadows across the sluggish, oil-slicked surface of the river.
He reached down, grabbing Vance by the arms and hoisting the older officer out of the hole. Miller emerged immediately after, her weapon drawn and scanning the tree line along the embankment with practiced precision.
"We need to get to the highway," Miller said, breathing heavily as she checked the magazine of her sidearm. "My cruiser is parked three blocks away in a residential zone. If we can reach it before Sterling's units lock down the district perimeter..."
She didn't finish the sentence. The sharp, distinctive beam of a spotlight cut through the darkness from the center of the river, blinding them instantly. A large municipal police boat slid silently out from beneath the concrete arches of the bridge, its deck mounted with a heavy-caliber riot suppression cannon.
"Don't move!" a voice amplified through a high-powered marine PA system boomed across the water. "Federal and municipal jurisdiction! Stay where you are!"
From the tree line behind them, the sound of snapping twigs and heavy tactical boots crunching on gravel signaled that they were completely surrounded. Sterling stepped out from the shadows of the bridge pylon, his charcoal suit still remarkably immaculate despite the night's events. He held a secure satellite tablet in one hand, his expression calm and absolute.
"End of the line, Marcus," Sterling called out, his voice carrying clearly over the gentle lapping of the river water. "You put up an admirable fight, but bureaucratic resistance is ultimately futile."
Marcus stepped in front of Vance and Miller, his hands empty, his body bruised and exhausted, but his eyes fixed entirely on Sterling. "The upload went live, Sterling. The inspector general has every file, every ledger, and every name."
Sterling chuckled softly, tapping the screen of his tablet. "Files can be quarantined, Marcus. Servers can be seized under national security pretexts within the hour. By sunrise, your little data packet will be classified under domestic terrorism protocols, and you'll be a phantom."
May you like
He raised his right hand, signaling the tactical unit to close in.
"And as for the three of you..." Sterling smiled coldly. "An unfortunate drowning accident during an attempted escape from a secure holding facility."
