Chapter 7 - The Final Ultimatum“End of the line, Caldwell,” Marcus snarled, his thumb hovering directly over the red trigger button on the detonator box. “One click, and the entire lower level—servers, backup drives, and half this stupid estate—goes up in smoke. Your company, your legacy, your entire life… erased in a second.”
Ethan lowered his rifle slightly, not out of fear, but because he was calculating every possible vector.
“You think blowing up my servers saves you, Marcus?” Ethan asked, his voice disturbingly calm as he took a slow step forward. “Harrison Sterling is already ruined. Brooke is exposed. The Syndicate doesn't leave loose ends. The moment you push that button, they’ll eliminate you too.”
Marcus’s thumb twitched slightly. For a fraction of a second, doubt flickered across his eyes.
“Shut up! You don't know anything!” Marcus screamed. “I’m getting a full offshore payout! My ticket out of this country is already booked!”
“Really?” Ethan raised an eyebrow, tapping his smart watch twice. “Check your encrypted offshore account right now, Marcus. Tell me what you see.”
Confused and panicked, Marcus pulled his phone from his pocket with his left hand while keeping his thumb locked on the detonator. He tapped his banking app, his eyes darting across the screen.
The color drained entirely from his face.
“Zero?” Marcus whispered, his voice trembling. “My… my balance is zero. They wiped my accounts ten minutes ago!”
“Loyalty bought with blood is always paid in betrayal, Marcus,” Ethan said softly, closing the distance between them with terrifying speed. “You were never a partner to the Syndicate. You were just their disposable scapegoat.”
“No… NO!” Marcus shrieked, panic overriding his logic as his thumb slammed down toward the red button.
Ethan didn't hesitate. He pulled a heavy steel tactical throwing knife from his boot and hurled it with pinpoint accuracy.
THWACK.
The blade buried itself deep into the top housing of the detonator box, short-circuiting the internal wiring in a shower of blue sparks just a millimeter before the contact point could connect.
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Before Marcus could scream, Ethan closed the remaining gap, grabbed the assistant by his collar, and slammed him against the reinforced concrete wall of the stairwell. Marcus’s eyes rolled back, and he slumped unconscious to the floor.
Ethan kicked the disabled detonator away, picked up his rifle, and sprinted down the final flight of stairs toward the subterranean vault.
