Chapter 54
Thorne didn't wait for a polite response. He turned and marched briskly toward the gallery exit, pulling a small, heavy silver radio from his inner jacket pocket.
"Security team alpha, this is Thorne," the Senator barked into the radio, his voice echoing sharply in the quiet gallery. "I have an unauthorized ping on my secure server. Lockdown the sub-basement immediately. Seal all exits."
Nathan and Sarah exchanged a sharp, terrifying glance. The cover was officially blown.
"Ethan, abort!" Nathan spoke loudly into his cuff microphone, completely abandoning his cover persona. "Thorne knows. He's sending the tactical team down there right now. Michael, get out of there!"
In the server room, the progress bar on Michael's decryption drive read 92%.
"Michael, you have heavily armed guards converging on the east stairwell," Ethan yelled through the earpiece. "You have thirty seconds before they breach the door!"
"I'm not leaving without the ledger," Michael growled, watching the agonizingly slow progress bar. "95%... 96%..."
"Michael, don't be a hero!" Claire pleaded, grabbing his arm tightly. She could hear the heavy thud of combat boots charging down the concrete stairs outside.
"98%... 99%... Got it!" Michael yanked the drive violently from the server tower, shoving it securely into his inner pocket.
"The stairwell is blocked," Ethan warned. "They are right outside the door."
"We aren't taking the stairs," Michael said, his eyes darting frantically around the small room. He looked up, pointing to the massive, square aluminum ventilation duct that supplied the sub-basement with air conditioning. "Claire, give me a boost."
The heavy steel door to the server room shuddered as the security team began violently overriding the lock from the outside.
Claire cupped her hands, acting as a stepping stool. Michael stepped up, punching the metal grate out of the ceiling. He hauled himself into the dark, dusty ductwork, then reached down, grabbing Claire's forearms. He pulled her up with incredible strength just as the server room door burst open with a deafening crash.
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Five heavily armed guards swarmed into the room, sweeping their rifles across the empty space. They found only their unconscious colleague and an empty server terminal.
Inside the ductwork, Michael and Claire lay perfectly still, holding their breath in the pitch black, the ledger safely secured against Michael's chest.
