Chapter 53
"We need to get the Senator closer to the east wing," Sarah whispered rapidly into her champagne flute, acting as if she were taking a casual sip. "The study is on the west side. We'll be completely out of range for the authenticator."
Nathan didn't miss a beat. As Thorne gestured toward the grand staircase leading to the west wing, Nathan gently touched the Senator's arm, stopping him.
"Senator, forgive me," Nathan said smoothly, injecting a perfect note of aristocratic snobbery into his tone. "But before we discuss numbers, I simply must see your renowned art collection. I was told you recently acquired a genuine Rothko. As an avid collector myself, it would be an absolute crime to leave without viewing it."
Thorne beamed with absolute pride. His ego was his greatest vulnerability. "Ah, you have excellent taste, Mr. Harper. The Rothko is indeed my crown jewel. It is prominently displayed in the east gallery, just above the sub-basement. Come, I insist."
Thorne altered his course, leading Nathan and Sarah across the massive ballroom toward the quiet, heavily guarded east gallery. Every step brought them closer to the physical location of the server room located directly beneath their feet.
Down in the cold sub-basement, Michael had plugged a heavy decryption drive directly into the master server tower. The screen on his device flashed with a rapid progress bar.
"Ethan, the download is queued," Michael whispered, keeping one eye on the unconscious guard bound and gagged in the corner.
"Waiting on the proximity ping," Ethan replied. "The Senator is moving into range... fifty feet... forty feet... okay, he is directly above you. Initiating the handshake protocol now."
In the east gallery, Thorne stopped proudly in front of a massive, abstract canvas of deep reds and blacks. "Stunning, isn't it? The emotion it conveys is simply unparalleled."
"It's breathtaking," Nathan agreed, his eyes slightly distant as he counted the seconds in his head.
Suddenly, Thorne’s pocket vibrated. The Senator frowned, pulling out his sleek, heavily encrypted smartphone. He looked at the screen, a genuine look of confusion crossing his face. A silent, unprompted authorization request was flashing on his display.
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"Is something wrong, Senator?" Sarah asked innocently.
Thorne stared at the phone. His political instincts, honed by years of corruption, instantly flared. He knew he hadn't initiated a server transfer. "Excuse me for a moment," Thorne said, his charismatic smile vanishing entirely, replaced by a cold, deadly serious expression. "I need to check on something downstairs."
