Chapter 6 - The Heist of the Century — Reclaiming the Truth from the Ashes
Ethan’s assistant, Evelyn, had not been idle.
Using the secure, high-bandwidth satellite link in Ethan’s chopper, she had hijacked the broadcast feeds of every major news outlet in Chicago, projecting the live feed from the decoy camera straight to the public.
Gerald Whitmore’s confession—his boasting about Arthur’s murder, his plans to sell weaponized medical serums, and his admission of locking a toddler in a basement—was currently being watched by over fifty million people live on national television and social media.
"What... what is this?!" Gerald screamed, looking at his phone as alerts began to flood his screen in an endless cascade. The Whitmore stock was plummeting in real-time, losing billions of dollars a second. "Shut it down! Shut it down!"
"It's too late, Gerald," Ethan said.
From the shadows of the warehouse ceiling, tactical ziplines dropped down. Jaxx and Ethan’s elite security team descended like dark angels, flashbangs detonating in a synchronized wall of sound and light.
The syndicate mercenaries tried to return fire, but they were completely outmatched. Jaxx’s team swept through the room with lethal efficiency, neutralizing the threat in a matter of seconds.
Ethan sprinted forward. He drew a concealed handgun from his coat, firing two clean shots that shattered the kneecaps of Julian Vance before the doctor could draw his weapon.
Ethan reached Mei Lin, slicing her ropes with a pocket knife. "Can you walk?"
"Lily..." she gasped, tears streaming down her face. "Is she safe?"
"She is safe. She is with my most trusted people," Ethan promised, helping her up.
Suddenly, a wild, desperate scream echoed from the back of the warehouse.
Gerald Whitmore, realizing his empire, his reputation, and his life were completely destroyed, had scrambled into the cabin of a heavy-duty industrial forklift. With a madman’s grin, he revved the engine, steering the massive steel vehicle directly toward Ethan and Mei Lin.
"If I go down, you all go with me!" Gerald roared.
Ethan pushed Mei Lin out of the way, rolling across the concrete floor as the heavy steel prongs of the forklift missed him by inches, crushing a stack of wooden crates into splinters.
Gerald spun the vehicle around, aiming to pin Ethan against the concrete wall.
Ethan stood his ground. He raised his handgun, aiming directly through the reinforced glass of the forklift's cabin. He fired three consecutive shots.
The glass shattered. The bullets struck Gerald squarely in the shoulder and chest. The older man slumped forward over the steering wheel, his foot heavy on the gas.
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The forklift veered wildy out of control, crashing through the weak wooden barrier at the edge of the dock and plunging headfirst into the freezing, deep black waters of Lake Michigan.
A heavy splash echoed through the night. Then, there was only the sound of the falling rain.
