Chapter 11 - THE MAN WATCHING US
My father grabbed my phone.
“Signal jammer.”
Technicians activated it immediately.
Too late.
Victor had already proved his point.
He had someone close enough to photograph me through a tinted command-vehicle window.
“Internal breach,” Dad said.
Federal agents began checking every perimeter unit.
Nobody moved without verification.
Inside the customs building, Nathan demanded answers.
“Where are you?”
Victor’s voice came through the speakers.
“Everywhere you were too arrogant to look.”
“You said we had a deal.”
“We did.”
“I built Ashford Global for you.”
“No, Nathan.”
Victor laughed softly.
“I built Ashford Global.”
Nathan looked toward the hidden microphone on his coat as if he suddenly realized prosecutors were hearing every word.
Victor continued.
“You were a handsome signature on corporate documents.”
“A useful ego.”
“A man desperate enough to call obedience ambition.”
Nathan’s face twisted.
“I made billions.”
“For me.”
“I controlled the ports.”
“For me.”
“I controlled Celeste.”
Victor laughed again.
That one hurt Nathan.
“You never controlled Celeste.”
The lights inside the building suddenly went dark.
“Move,” Dad ordered.
Tactical teams advanced.
Then every computer in our command vehicle crashed.
One by one.
Black screens.
“Cyber intrusion.”
Technicians scrambled.
A countdown appeared on the central monitor.
00:09:59.
Nine minutes.
Fifty-nine seconds.
A message followed.
MIDNIGHT CROWN FINALIZATION.
Dad stared at it.
“He accelerated the protocol.”
“Can he do that?”
“With Nathan’s key authorization.”
“But Nathan has fake keys.”
Dad shook his head.
“He doesn’t need the drive.”
“He needed Nathan physically inside a registered Black Meridian location.”
I understood.
Biometric authentication.
Nathan’s presence itself had completed part of the authorization.
Victor had manipulated us into bringing Nathan exactly where he needed him.
“What happens at zero?”
Dad’s analyst answered.
“Black Meridian consolidates all liquid assets.”
“Then disappears.”
“How much?”
She looked sick.
“Current estimate.”
“Four point six billion dollars.”
A gunshot sounded through Nathan’s microphone.
I jumped.
“Nathan?”
No answer.
Another gunshot.
Then static.
Dad ordered teams inside.
I stared at the countdown.
Seven minutes.
Thirty-two seconds.
We had spent days trying to find Victor.
Now he had used us to finish the largest financial theft of his life.
Then I remembered Celeste.
Her key.
The black drive.
“Dad.”
He turned.
“Victor thinks he has both keys.”
“He doesn’t.”
Dad stared at me.
“Celeste’s real drive is in federal custody.”
“Yes.”
“And Nathan’s authorization only replaces one key.”
I grabbed the analyst’s laptop.
“So Midnight Crown is still missing Celeste.”
The analyst’s eyes widened.
“She can stop it.”
Dad immediately called the estate.
No answer.
He called again.
Nothing.
Then one security officer finally responded.
His words turned the command vehicle silent.
May you like
“Sir.”
“Celeste Monroe is gone.”
