Chapter 8 - What Grandfather Knew
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An hour later, we arrived at a heavily fortified federal safehouse located in an undisclosed basement facility beneath downtown Chicago.
Ethan sat on a cot in the corner, eating a warm meal provided by the task force, while Agent Vance and I stood around a steel briefing table littered with maps and digital tablets.
"Explain everything," I demanded, crossing my arms over my Kevlar vest. "No more classified evasions."
Agent Vance tapped a tablet screen, pulling up a black-and-white photograph of my late grandfather, Arthur Carter.
"Your grandfather was never just a wealthy logistics mogul, Madison," Vance explained. "In the late 1980s, he was an operative for defense intelligence. When he retired, he discovered that his business partner—and eventually your father—were using Carter Global to launder dark money for international syndicates."
"So Grandpa built the trust fund as a vault," I realized, connecting the pieces.
"Exactly," Vance nodded. "He seized fifty million dollars of the Syndicate's black-budget capital and locked it inside an irrevocable trust fund registered in Ethan's name. The only way to unlock that account is with a dual-biometric sequence that requires Ethan's physical presence when he turns fifteen."
"Ethan turns fifteen next week," I whispered, cold realization washing over me.
"That's why your parents were so desperate to get legal custody today," Vance said. "The Syndicate gave your father an ultimatum: bring Ethan to a private bank in Switzerland on his fifteenth birthday to unlock the money, or Richard and Evelyn would be eliminated."
"And if Ethan doesn't open it?"
"The Syndicate loses fifty million dollars, and their entire global network stays exposed to federal prosecution," Vance replied grimly. "They will bring down half the city before they let that happen."
Ethan looked up from his meal, his eyes filled with quiet horror. "Maddie... Grandpa left a drive in my desk at home. He told me it was a gift for my fifteenth birthday."
I turned to my brother instantly. "What kind of drive, Ethan?"
"A small silver USB drive," Ethan said softly. "It has a raven symbol carved into the metal."
Agent Vance and I traded a sharp look.
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"The master key," Vance whispered. "If that drive is still inside your parents' mansion, we have to get to it before the Syndicate's search team does."
"We aren't waiting for a federal search team," I declared, picking up my helmet and locking my rifle into position. "I'm going back to the mansion tonight."
