Chapter 11 - The Cloud Bluff
Arthur exhaled a thin stream of grey smoke into the damp night air, his eyes cold and calculating as he weighed Daniel’s bluff. The heavy hum of the river against the wooden pilings of Pier 54 filled the silence between them.
“An automated dead-man switch? How very cinematic, Daniel,” Arthur murmured, stepping slowly down from the loading platform. His polished dress shoes clicked rhythmically against the wet concrete. “Unfortunately for you, I spent the last forty-eight hours dismantling your company’s secondary server relays. There is no cloud backup left. You’re standing out here in the rain with nothing left to bargain with.”
Daniel didn't flinch, maintaining his stoic facade, though a cold knot tightened in his stomach.
“If there’s no backup, Arthur, why have you kept her alive?” Daniel asked, gesturing toward Victoria with a slight nod of his head.
Victoria lifted her gaze, catching Daniel’s eye. She shook her head slightly, a silent warning painted across her dirt-smudged face, begging him not to push further.
Arthur smiled, a thin, humourless expression that didn't reach his eyes. He stepped closer, stopping just a few feet away from Daniel, smelling faintly of expensive scotch and cedarwood.
“Because Victoria was always my favorite niece,” Arthur said softly, turning his gaze toward the bound woman. “She had the makings of a true empire builder. It’s a shame she let sentimentality cloud her judgment.” Arthur turned back to Daniel, his expression hardening. “Hand over the second phone, Daniel. The one she gave you in the cloakroom. That device has the root certificate needed to override the master firewall at corporate headquarters.”
Daniel’s hand rested heavily in his pocket, his fingers wrapping around the sleek, cold metal of the unbranded phone. He knew that the moment he handed it over, they would have unrestricted access to not only his family's company, but every financial account and personal asset he owned.
“And if I refuse?” Daniel challenged, his voice dangerously low.
Arthur didn't answer with words. He raised his hand two inches and snapped his fingers.
Instantly, Henderson stepped forward behind Victoria, pressing the cold barrel of a suppressed pistol firmly against her temple.
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“You have three seconds, Daniel,” Arthur whispered coldly.
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