Chapter 19 - THE FINAL BATTLE AT THE CAPITOLThe press conference took place at the National Press Center in Washington, D.C., heavily guarded by dozens of federal agents. Hundreds of journalists from major global news networks packed the auditorium.
I stepped up to the podium in a simple black suit. In the front row, Grace gave me a reassuring nod.
"Ladies and gentlemen," my voice resonated through the silent room. "I stand before you today not as the chairman of the Whitfield Group, but as a man seeking to make amends for the crimes of his family."
I held up the encrypted hard drive. "This drive contains irrefutable evidence detailing the operations of The Crown—a shadow cartel that has corrupted our financial and political institutions for over thirty years."
Before I could continue, the glass walls of the auditorium shattered outward in a barrage of automatic gunfire!
A squad of tactical mercenaries clad in unmarked black armor stormed the room, firing wildly toward the podium. Screams echoed as chaos erupted across the hall.
"COVER WHITFIELD!" Miller shouted into his comms.
I didn't hide behind the podium. My only thought was Grace.
I leaped over the stage barrier, dodging a hail of gunfire, and tackled Grace to the carpet, taking a grazing round to my shoulder to protect her.
"Daniel! You're hit!" Grace cried out in terror.
"I'm fine! Stay low!" I pulled her behind the heavy wooden doors leading to the broadcast control wing, where Marcus was holding off the attackers with a heavy rifle.
"Boss! We're pinned down!" Marcus yelled, firing back into the corridor as the heavy steel door took heavy impact.
I looked at the live broadcast terminal inside the control room. A sudden idea struck me.
"Marcus, give me two minutes!" I jammed the master drive directly into the station's live satellite feed console.
"Daniel, what are you doing?" Grace asked, holding my arm.
"If we don't walk out of this room alive," I typed rapidly on the console, "then the entire world is going to watch this data right now. They can't kill a story that's already everywhere."
BEEP.
The upload confirmed. Across millions of television screens worldwide, the live feed instantly switched to displaying The Crown’s classified ledgers, names of corrupt officials, and offshore accounts.
At that moment, the steel doors gave way. The mercenaries pushed inside, but before they could raise their weapons, a team of FBI SWAT operators swarmed the room from the rear entrances, forcing the attackers to their knees.
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Senator Sterling was dragged into the room in handcuffs moments later by Agent Miller. He stared at the monitors broadcasting his organization's downfall and collapsed onto his knees in complete defeat.
The war was finally over. The Crown was reduced to ash.
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