Chapter 14 - SOPHIE’S TABLET
We raced back to the museum under federal escort.
Sophie’s tablet sat sealed in an evidence locker, but its hidden software remained connected to the foundation network.
Grant had installed the program.
Vale’s technicians had taken control of it.
The device was deleting evidence one server at a time.
“Disconnect the network,” I ordered.
Marcus shook his head. “The archive system has a battery-backed internal link. If we cut power, it completes the deletion locally.”
“How long?”
“Six minutes.”
Grant stood between two agents. “There’s a manual kill switch in the original server room.”
“Where?”
“Behind the crystal phoenix.”
The display gallery was still damaged from the fire response. The twelve-million-dollar sculpture stood under a protective cover. Beneath its pedestal, investigators had exposed wires, pressure sensors, and the hidden ledger compartment.
Grant pointed to a narrow shaft.
“The switch is at the bottom.”
“No adult can fit,” Marcus said.
Sophie’s voice came from behind us.
“I can.”
I spun around.
Her nurse had brought her to the museum for a protected recorded statement. She stood in the doorway holding her stuffed fox.
“No,” I said.
Sophie looked at the shaft. “Daddy said the little door was for wires.”
Grant knelt. “Sophie, you do not have to fix what I did.”
She looked at him for a long moment.
“I’m not fixing you. I’m helping Mom.”
I wanted to refuse.
But the shaft was short, stable, and monitored. Firefighters inspected it. Sophie would crawl only twelve feet to a large red switch.
We attached a safety line and helmet camera.
I held her shoulders.
“You stop the second you feel scared.”
“I’m already scared.”
“So am I.”
She crawled into the shaft.
On the monitor, dust floated through her flashlight beam.
Four minutes remained.
Then she stopped.
“There’s something here.”
“What?” Marcus asked.
“A box.”
“Leave it,” I said. “Go to the switch.”
She crawled farther.
Two minutes.
We saw the red handle.
Sophie reached it, but it would not move.
“Pull down,” Grant said.
She pulled.
Nothing.
“Use both hands.”
The deletion reached ninety-four percent.
Sophie planted her feet against the wall and pulled with all her strength.
The switch slammed down.
Every screen went black.
Then the emergency archive rebooted.
Data restoration began from a protected offline copy Henry had hidden behind the manual circuit.
Sophie crawled out holding the small box she had found.
Inside was a final video message from Henry.
He looked directly into the camera.
“If Claire is watching this, then Victoria and Charles have made their move. Trust the child. Adults learn to live with lies. Children still know when something is wrong.”
Sophie leaned against me.
The restored archive displayed one final file.
A list of every person involved in Vale’s art-smuggling network.
At the top was Victoria.
Below her was Grant.
May you like
But beside Grant’s name, Henry had written one word:
INFORMANT.
