Chapter 18 - Smoke and MirrorsI scrambled to my feet, tying my flannel shirt around my mouth and nose to filter out the toxic smoke. The emergency sprinkler system hadn't kicked in yet because the thermal surge was localized entirely inside the electrical conduit risers behind the walls—a clever, targeted arson attempt designed to destroy the physical evidence without triggering the building's main water reserves.
I sprinted down the smoky corridor toward the main service elevators, hitting the manual alarm override button on the wall.
ALARM SYSTEM ENGAGED. EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.
Strobe lights flashed brilliant red across the empty hallways. By the time I reached the ground-floor lobby, two fire trucks were already parked outside with their sirens wailing, and building security was frantically herding the remaining evening staff out through the glass revolving doors.
Detective Vance—who had been reviewing case files nearby—was standing by the command perimeter when he saw me stumble out of the revolving doors, coughing and covered in black soot.
"Owen! Good lord, what happened?!" Vance rushed forward, grabbing my arm to steady me.
"Arson," I rasped, spitting out a mouthful of ash. "Third-floor administrative wing. Julian Vance—Caleb’s financial deputy—rigged a thermal surge to burn office 304. He’s running."
"Which way?!" Vance demanded, already reaching for his radio.
"Service stairwell exit leading down to the underground parking garage," I coughed.
Vance didn't hesitate. He barked orders into his radio to seal the perimeter exits, while two tactical officers sprinted toward the parking garage ramp.
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Five minutes later, Julian Vance was dragged out of the garage stairwell in handcuffs, carrying a backpack stuffed with encrypted flash drives and forged passport documents.
The trap had closed. But this time, there was nowhere left for Caleb’s rats to hide.
