Chapter 37
CHAPTER 38: The Broken Vault
Eleanor collapsed onto the wet asphalt, her breathing ragged, her eyes wild with a mixture of terror and absolute insanity. She looked up at me as I stood over her, the morning sun finally breaking through the clouds, painting the tarmac in a cold, gray light.
"You... you can't touch me," she wheezed, her fingers tightening on the leather handle of the briefcase. "The money... it’s already gone. It’s in the system. You’re nothing but a middle-class mistake, Julian."
"The money doesn't matter anymore, Eleanor," I said, reaching down and gently removing the briefcase from her grip. "Look behind you."
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Agent Miller and a dozen state troopers were closing the circle, their weapons aimed at her heart. Behind them, Arthur Pendelton was standing with the support of Sarah’s cane, his face clean, his eyes filled with the quiet satisfaction of a man who had finally brought down an empire.
"Eleanor Sterling," Miller said, his voice echoing across the open runway. "Your federal protection has been officially revoked by the governor’s office. You are being detained under the State Treason and National Anti-Riot Acts. This time, there are no lawyers left on your payroll."
