CHAPTER 9 — The Last Ten Minutes
10:00.
The countdown echoed through every floor of Blackwood Tower.
Employees screamed as emergency alarms blared.
Outside, thousands of people flooded into the streets while news helicopters circled overhead, broadcasting the unfolding crisis live.
Deep beneath the city, Alexander stood frozen.
In one hand was the biometric key that could erase the organization's entire archive.
In the other was his wounded father's blood.
Emily grabbed his arm.
"We can still expose them later."
"But those people upstairs will die now."
Alexander didn't hesitate again.
He slammed the biometric key into the emergency console.
Nothing happened.
Then Eleanor's voice echoed through the vault.
"I knew you'd choose compassion."
"The key was never connected to the archive."
"It controls the bombs."
A fingerprint scanner lit up.
AUTHORIZED USER: ALEXANDER BLACKWOOD
Alexander placed his hand on the scanner.
ACCESS DENIED.
His heart stopped.
"What?"
Eleanor smiled through the security camera.
"Because you were never the primary heir."
Richard struggled to his feet despite the gunshot wound.
His face turned pale.
"No..."
He limped toward the scanner.
"I am."
He pressed his bleeding hand against the glass.
The system paused.
Then...
IDENTITY VERIFIED
SELF-DESTRUCT CANCELED
Across the city, every explosive instantly deactivated.
People inside Blackwood Tower collapsed in relief.
Police stormed the building.
SWAT teams surrounded every exit.
But before Alexander could celebrate...
Richard suddenly fell to one knee.
The bullet had done far more damage than he admitted.
He looked at Alexander one final time.
"I lied to protect you."
"I helped create the organization..."
"...because I believed I could control it."
"I was wrong."
Tears filled Alexander's eyes.
Richard smiled weakly.
"You became the man I never could."
With those words...
He closed his eyes forever.
Alexander silently embraced his father as sirens echoed above.
The nightmare was almost over.
Or so he believed.
Marcus suddenly ran into the control room holding a tablet.
His face had turned white.
"Alexander..."
"Someone just transferred every file from the archive."
Alexander looked toward the empty security monitor.
The archive...
Was completely blank.
May you like
Someone had stolen everything...
Before the vault had been locked down.
