Chapter 19 - The Blockade
Dozens of parents, neighbors, and local shop owners rushed forward, forming a human wall between the bulldozers and the children. They linked arms, standing in silent, defiant solidarity.
"You'll have to arrest all of us!" a local baker shouted.
Sterling sneered, pulling out his phone.
"Fine. Bring in the riot squad. Clear them out."
Claire walked directly up to Sterling, stopping just inches away from him. She held up her laptop.
"You shouldn't have helped me pick up my purse last night, Arthur."
Sterling's smug expression faltered.
"What are you talking about?"
"I unlocked the shadow ledger," Claire said, her voice echoing loudly enough for the police and the crowd to hear. "I have the emails where you ordered the forgery of Richard Vance's signature. I have the receipts of your bribes to Judge Higgins. And worst of all, I have the structural reports proving your new downtown condos are going to collapse in the next earthquake."
Sterling turned pale.
"You're lying. That drive is encrypted."
"Not anymore."
Claire hit a button on her phone. She had already sent the entire contents of the hard drive to every major news outlet, federal prosecutor, and structural engineering board in the state.
May you like
"Check the news, Arthur," Claire said coldly.
Sterling’s phone began to vibrate violently in his hand. The security contractors, sensing a massive shift in power, slowly lowered their weapons and stepped back.
