Chapter 52
In the main ballroom above, the tension was entirely different but equally dangerous. Nathan and Sarah mingled effortlessly, carefully working their way through the massive crowd until they were standing mere feet away from Senator Marcus Thorne. The Senator was holding a glass of expensive bourbon, laughing deeply at a joke told by an oil executive.
"He looks incredibly relaxed for a man who ordered a murder in a federal prison," Sarah noted quietly, taking a small, calculated sip of her own drink.
"Power breeds arrogance," Nathan replied, his eyes locked firmly on Thorne. "He believes he is entirely untouchable. Our job is to keep him looking at us, not at his security monitors."
Nathan stepped forward, seamlessly inserting himself into the Senator's conversation circle. "Senator Thorne, a brilliant speech earlier regarding corporate deregulation. I am Nathan Harper. I represent a consortium of tech investors out of Seattle."
Thorne turned, offering a practiced, blindingly charismatic smile. He shook Nathan’s hand, his grip firm and assessing. "Harper, yes. Seattle is doing wonderful things for the tech sector. Always a pleasure to meet a constituent who understands the absolute value of an unburdened free market."
"We absolutely do," Nathan smiled back, pouring every ounce of his charm into the interaction. "In fact, my partners and I have been closely following your proposed infrastructure bill. We believe there is a substantial... synergy, let's call it, between your legislative goals and our private funding capabilities."
Thorne’s eyes gleamed with immediate, predatory interest. Mentioning private funding was the ultimate bait for a corrupt politician. "Synergy is a beautiful word, Mr. Harper. I always have time to discuss mutually beneficial partnerships. Perhaps we should step into my private study for a more focused conversation?"
"I would be honored," Nathan agreed gracefully.
As Thorne turned to lead them away, Sarah’s earpiece crackled softly.
May you like
"Sarah, Nathan," Ethan’s voice was urgent but steady. "Michael and Claire are in the server room. They are initiating the download of the Genesis Ledger. But we have a problem. The download requires a direct authorization ping from Thorne’s personal smartphone. He has a proximity authenticator on his person."
Sarah casually bumped her shoulder against Nathan, communicating the silent warning. If Thorne wasn't close enough to the server room when the ping initiated, the system would lock them out entirely.
