Chapter 11 - The Thirty-Eighth Floor)
Emergency lights filled the office with a red glow.
Liam grabbed Danielle's hand.
She pulled him close.
"Stay with me."
Marissa checked the corridor.
"Stairwells are blocked below thirty-five."
Michelle looked toward the windows.
"We're trapped."
"No."
Danielle looked at her.
"We're delayed."
Caleb laughed weakly.
"That's very Harrington of you."
The evidence upload reached ninety-one percent before the server lost outside connectivity.
Danielle checked the scheduled release.
It needed the final authorization handshake.
Without internet, nothing would leave.
Victor knew exactly what he was doing.
Marissa opened a security panel.
"He isolated the executive floors."
"Can we restore connection?"
"From the building control room."
"Where?"
"Thirty-six."
Michelle stared.
"Below the men with guns?"
"Yes."
Danielle looked at Marissa.
"Are they loyal to Victor?"
"Most are contractors."
"Would they shoot us?"
Marissa hesitated.
"I don't know what Victor told them."
"Then assume yes."
Liam tugged Danielle's sleeve.
"Mom."
"Yes?"
"Why don't we use Dad's phone?"
She frowned.
"What phone?"
"The one in the drawer."
Danielle stared at him.
Liam pointed to Daniel's old desk.
She opened the bottom drawer.
Inside was an emergency satellite phone.
Danielle almost laughed.
Daniel had insisted on keeping it after a communications blackout years ago.
Victor had mocked him.
Paranoid, he had called him.
Danielle powered it on.
Signal.
Marissa immediately called Thomas Hale.
He answered.
"Danielle, where are you?"
"Harrington headquarters. Thirty-eighth floor. Armed men entered the building."
"We're already moving."
"Who is we?"
"Federal agents. Nathan Cole was detained at the airport."
Danielle's heart accelerated.
"He talked?"
"He asked for an attorney first."
"Of course."
"Danielle, stay where you are."
She looked at the camera showing armed men entering floor thirty-seven.
"That's going to be difficult."
Thomas continued.
"We have enough evidence from the files you sent to get warrants."
"Not the Creston files."
"What?"
"They haven't uploaded."
Danielle looked at the server.
Ninety-one percent.
"Those prove Daniel was murdered."
Thomas became silent.
Then.
"Get them to me if you can. But don't risk your son."
Danielle looked at Liam.
"I won't."
She ended the call.
Marissa watched the stairwell camera.
"They're coming."
Danielle looked around.
Victor had spent decades teaching her that power came from controlling rooms.
Doors.
Information.
Timing.
Fine.
This was her room.
She knew it better.
"Michelle, take Liam into the legal archive."
"No."
"Liam."
Her son crossed his arms.
"No."
Danielle crouched.
"I need you to listen."
"I listened before and Grandpa took me."
The words cut her.
She touched his shoulders.
"You're right. So this time Michelle is staying with you. And the door only opens from inside."
Liam looked at his aunt.
Michelle nodded.
"I'll stay."
He finally agreed.
Caleb tried to follow.
Danielle stopped him.
"You go too."
"No."
"You have survived seventy-eight days. Don't become stupid in the last hour."
He almost smiled.
Then kissed Michelle.
They disappeared into the secure room.
Danielle locked it from the outside, then gave Michelle the internal release code.
Marissa looked at Danielle.
"What exactly are we doing?"
"Buying seven minutes."
"Why seven?"
"Because federal response from the west entrance takes seven minutes if Thomas is already within two blocks."
"You calculated that?"
"My father taught me."
Marissa gave a grim smile.
"Of course he did."
The elevator doors opened.
Four armed men entered the corridor.
Marissa stepped into view with her hands raised.
"Stand down."
The lead contractor recognized her.
"Ms. Reed."
"You are inside a corporate office carrying weapons without authorization from the chief executive."
"We have authorization."
"From whom?"
"Mr. Harrington."
Danielle stepped out.
"I am Harrington."
The men hesitated.
That was the advantage of a family company.
Names became weapons.
The lead contractor touched his earpiece.
Danielle continued.
"Federal agents are entering this building. Anyone who puts down a weapon now can tell them you believed you were responding to a security threat."
Marissa added.
"Anyone who continues becomes part of a kidnapping and obstruction investigation."
Two men exchanged looks.
The leader said.
"Mrs. Harrington, step away from the server."
Danielle smiled.
"No."
His hand tightened around his weapon.
Then another voice came through his earpiece.
Victor.
Danielle could faintly hear him.
"Take the drive."
The leader approached.
Marissa moved between them.
"Don't."
He stopped.
"Move."
Marissa stared at him.
"I trained you."
"Then you know what happens next."
"Yes."
She reached slowly toward her belt.
The contractors raised their weapons.
Marissa removed her security badge.
She dropped it on the floor.
"I quit."
The lead contractor blinked.
Marissa said.
"Which means there is now no licensed Harrington security authority supervising this operation."
Danielle almost admired the maneuver.
The leader hesitated.
That was all they needed.
A loud crash echoed from the stairwell.
"Federal agents."
The contractors froze.
Marissa raised both hands.
"Put them down."
One weapon lowered.
Then another.
The leader cursed.
He finally placed his gun on the floor.
Agents entered seconds later.
Thomas Hale followed.
Danielle immediately pointed toward the server.
"Ninety-one percent."
Thomas called for a technician.
The connection was restored.
The upload resumed.
Ninety-two.
Ninety-five.
Ninety-eight.
One hundred.
Danielle closed her eyes.
Done.
Thomas approached.
"Where is Victor?"
Danielle looked at the satellite phone.
A new message had arrived.
One photograph.
Victor standing inside Harrington Mansion.
Beside Eleanor's white piano.
Below it, one sentence.
Come home if you want the truth about your mother.
Danielle stared.
Thomas saw the screen.
"No."
Danielle looked at him.
"He knows he's finished."
"Which makes him more dangerous."
"I need to hear what he says."
"You have evidence."
"He spent eight years hiding my mother's trust."
"You don't need his confession."
Danielle folded Daniel's letter and slipped it into her pocket.
"No."
May you like
She looked at Michelle emerging from the archive with Liam.
"But I need my father to look at both his daughters when he loses."
