Chapter 18 - The Final Reckoning
Harrison and Olivia sprinted down the tunnel, kicking open the heavy steel emergency door that Victor had just ducked into.
The door led to an open-air industrial rooftop overlooking the Hudson River and the dark Manhattan skyline.
Rain was pouring heavily down from the black sky.
Victor Vance was stumbling toward a waiting helicopter on the helipad, clutching his injured shoulder.
"Victor!" Harrison’s voice thundered across the wet rooftop like a lightning strike.
Victor stopped and slowly turned around, backing up toward the edge of the helipad.
The helicopter blades were spinning frantically, whipping wind and rain into their faces.
Harrison walked forward slowly, pointing the rifle directly at Victor’s heart.
Olivia stood right beside Harrison, her wet clothes clinging to her body, her eyes fierce and unwavering.
"It's over, Victor," Harrison said coldly.
"Your guards are dead."
"Your children are in prison."
"And your company is bankrupt."
Victor laughed hysterically, the wind blowing his white hair into wild strands.
"You think you won, Harrison?!" Victor shrieked over the deafening roar of the helicopter blades.
"I have already uploaded the kill command to the Interpol server!"
"In two minutes, Miss Brooks will be declared an international terrorist target shoot-on-sight!"
"Even if you kill me, she will be hunted by every sniper on Earth for the rest of her life!"
Olivia felt a cold drop of blood trickle down her cheek from a small cut on her forehead.
She looked at Victor with absolute disgust and complete calm.
"You forgot one thing, Mr. Vance," Olivia said, stepping forward past Harrison.
Victor blinked in surprise. "What?!"
Olivia pulled a small black USB drive from her jacket pocket and held it up in the rain.
"While Harrison was keeping your guards occupied in the tunnel, I hacked into your helicopter's encrypted uplink system," Olivia revealed with a sharp, victorious smile.
"I reversed the Swiss server's transmission."
"Instead of declaring me a terrorist..."
Olivia pressed a button on her tablet screen.
"I just broadcasted your full confession, your offshore bank accounts, and your murder orders to every news network and federal court in the world."
Victor’s face turned ghastly white.
He pulled out his private smartphone with trembling hands.
The screen was flooded with thousands of emergency notifications.
VICTOR VANCE INDICTED FOR WAR CRIMES. INTERPOL CANCELS WARRANT FOR OLIVIA BROOKS. VANCE EMPIRE ASSETS SEIZED GLOBALLY.
"No... no!" Victor whimpered, stepping backward in sheer terror. "This is impossible! You're just a servant girl!"
May you like
"I saved a life," Olivia said in a clear, voice that cut through the thunder. "You tried to destroy one."
"That is why you lose."
