Chapter 6 - THE TRAP IS SETThirty-six hours later, the grand ballroom of the Seattle Grand Hotel was dazzling under thousands of crystal lights.
It was the annual charity gala for Vail Assurance—a glittering, black-tie affair where politicians, judges, and corporate titans gathered to sip champagne and applaud Miranda Vail’s philanthropic facade.
Security was absolute. Private guards stood at every entrance, checking invitations, scanning IDs, and monitoring closed-circuit cameras.
No one noticed a tall man in a dark, rented tuxedo walking through the service entrance carrying a heavy catering tray, accompanied by a quiet eleven-year-old boy and a little girl wearing a wide-brimmed hat that shadowed her face.
Nolan Reed had walked into the lion's den.
They slipped past the kitchens and into the private control room overlooking the main stage, where IT technicians were setting up the massive multimedia projector for Miranda Vail’s keynote address.
"Jamie," Nolan whispered, sliding a small USB adapter into the master AV console while the technician was distracted by a commotion outside. "Can you override the presentation loop?"
Jamie’s fingers flew across the keyboard with the speed and precision of a kid who had grown up repairing discarded computers in the back of a diner.
"Done," Jamie grinned, tapping the enter key. "The master slide show is swapped out. The moment she clicks her remote, the entire database on that flash drive goes live on every screen in this room—and broadcasts simultaneously to every news station streaming the event."
Nolan looked down at Leah, who stood beside him, clutching her ballet bag like a shield.
"Are you ready for this, Leah?" Nolan asked softly.
May you like
Leah took a deep, steady breath, her chin lifting with a sudden, fierce courage that looked so much like her mother’s courage, yet turned toward the light instead of the dark.
"I'm ready," Leah said. "Let's finish it."
