Chapter 5 - The Vanishing Server“Where is Sarah?” Maya asked aloud, looking around the grand room.
The room was sealed. The heavy iron shutters blocked every exit, except for the small service door leading back into the pantry—which had been locked from the outside when Thomas activated the security lockdown.
“Sarah left the floor twenty minutes ago,” Thomas said, his brow creasing for the first time since the ordeal began. “She claimed she spilled soup on her apron and went down to the staff locker room.”
“No,” Maya said, her heart plunging into her stomach. “Sarah didn't spill anything. I served the soup course alone because she said she had a headache!”
Richard stepped toward Maya, his eyes wide with a sudden, terrifying realization. “Who hired Sarah? Who brought her onto the staff for tonight’s event?”
Victoria let out a breathless, mocking laugh. “You did, Richard! Don't you remember? She was recommended by your personal physician three weeks ago when you requested an in-house dietary assistant!”
Richard went completely still. His face turned an ashen grey. “Dr. Vance...”
“Dr. Vance,” Thomas repeated, his calm demeanor finally cracking into pure astonishment. “The head of toxicity research at Vance Pharmaceuticals... the company Caldwell Global aggressively acquired last month.”
The puzzle pieces were crashing together with violent speed.
“The acquisition,” Maya breathed, her mind connecting the dots. “You didn't just buy his company, Mr. Caldwell. You shut down his research division, didn't you?”
“He was developing experimental neuro-inhibitors,” Richard stammered, backing away toward his chair. “They were unsafe! The clinical trials had higher mortality rates than the disease itself! I canceled the funding to protect the firm from liability!”
“You didn't cancel it to protect the firm,” Victoria spat with bitter malice. “You canceled it so you could sell the patents to a defense contractor in Europe! Dr. Vance lost his life’s work, his reputation, and his fortune in one afternoon because of your greed!”
Before anyone could respond, a high-pitched electronic chime rang out from the wall-mounted security panel near the heavy shuttered windows.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
The green light on the console turned a flashing, dangerous crimson.
May you like
A distorted voice began to crackle through the hidden ceiling speakers throughout the banquet hall. It wasn't Thomas’s voice, nor was it any of the guests.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the Caldwell elite,” the sharp, clinical voice of a middle-aged man echoed from above. “I see my proxy, Sarah, has executed her instructions admirably.”
