Chapter 11 - The Trap is Set
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The realization hit us like a bucket of ice water. Victor Sterling wasn't playing a game of simple corporate theft—he was executing a deliberate execution of Whitmore Freight.
"We have thirty-six hours before his deadline," Naomi said, pulling up a countdown clock on the central screen. "If we don't hand over the seventy-two percent voting shares, he releases the vintage tax fraud documents to the media."
"And if we do hand over the shares, he gains total operational control and dismantles the company anyway," I added, pacing across the room. "He built a trap with no exit."
"Unless we change the bait," a soft voice spoke from the doorway.
We all turned around.
Kelsey was standing in the entrance of the war room, carrying a dark leather briefcase. She looked tired, but her jaw was set in an expression of fierce determination.
"What are you doing here, Kelsey?" I asked cautiously.
"Victor called me twenty minutes ago," Kelsey said, walking over to the glass table and setting the briefcase down. "He doesn't know that I confessed to you. He thinks I'm still his loyal operative in Atlanta."
"And what did he want?" Naomi asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"He wants me to plant this physical flash drive into the primary server rack in the basement at midnight," Kelsey revealed, opening the briefcase to reveal a sleek silver encryption drive. "He said this drive contains the final override sequence that will bypass your manual locks and complete the nine-million-dollar transfer."
I looked at the silver drive, then looked up at Kelsey. "Why are you giving this to us? You could take his half-million dollars and disappear."
Kelsey touched her belly gently, her eyes filling with sincere tears. "Because I grew up with a father who destroyed everything he touched for money, Clara. When I saw what Evan and Barbara did to you... when I saw how cold Victor was... I realized I didn't want my child growing up in that filth."
I stared at her for a long moment, sensing the absolute truth in her voice.
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"David," I said, turning to my IT security chief. "Can you mirror this flash drive and inject a counter-virus into Victor's Zurich network when he attempts the execution?"
David grinned wickedly. "It would be my absolute pleasure, Miss Whitmore."
