Chapter 6
Chapter 6 - INTO THE LION’S DEN
The next day, Clara met Leo at an abandoned warehouse by the Boston shipyards. The air was thick with the scent of saltwater and rust. Leo sat in front of a bank of monitors, his face illuminated by the blue light of the data he had extracted from the USB drive."You did good, Clara," Leo said, his voice laced with genuine respect. "This drive contains everything. Julian’s private banking routing numbers, his shell companies, and the encrypted emails detailing his bribes to the state judicial committee."
"Is it enough to destroy him?" Clara asked, leaning over his shoulder.
"It’s enough to put him away for twenty years," Leo said. "But look at this." He clicked a file labeled Lumina Holdings. "He’s transferring the last batch of your father’s money tomorrow afternoon. He’s closing the account completely. And look at the date on this medical transport order. He’s scheduled the sanitarium ambulance to pick you up tomorrow night at midnight, right after his campaign announcement party."
Clara felt a cold dread settle deep into her bones. "He’s striking tomorrow."
"Which means we have to strike first," Leo said, turning to look at her. His eyes were fierce, protective. "But to make sure the charges stick, we need his physical signature or a voice confirmation on the final transfer. There’s a safe in his downtown law office. Inside is the original power of attorney document he forged. If we get that, he can't claim you willingly gave him the money."
"I’ll get it," Clara said without hesitation.
"No, it’s too dangerous," Leo countered. "His office has high-end security. If the alarms go off, he’ll know."
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"He’s taking Evelyn out for a 'pre-campaign dinner' tomorrow at 6:00 PM," Clara said, her voice steady and resolute. "I have his master keycard. He keeps a spare in his golf bag. I can get in and out before they even order appetizers. Leo, this is my life. I need to be the one to finish it."
Leo stared at her for a long moment, seeing the fierce, unbroken woman beneath the beige clothing. He nodded slowly. "Alright. I’ll hack the building’s security cameras from here to give you a five-minute blind spot. But the second you get that document, you run."
