Chapter 5 - The Counterstrike
The heavy boardroom doors burst open before security could even arrive.
Three men in dark windbreakers stormed into the room.
Large yellow letters on the back of their jackets read: FBI.
A woman in a sharp navy blue pantsuit followed closely behind them.
She flashed a gold badge toward the shocked board of directors.
"Agent Carter, Federal Bureau of Investigation," she announced loudly.
"Nobody move, and keep your hands where I can see them."
Victor Vance froze in his tracks.
His smug smile instantly vanished from his face.
"What is the meaning of this?" Victor demanded angrily.
"This is a private corporate meeting!"
Agent Carter ignored him and walked directly toward Ethan.
She handed Ethan a thick stack of printed documents.
"You were right, Mr. Sterling," Agent Carter said respectfully.
"We traced the wire transfers that posted Beatrice's bail."
"They came from a shell corporation registered in the Cayman Islands."
"A shell corporation that is directly owned by Vance Global."
Ethan took the documents and smirked at Victor.
Hannah felt a massive wave of relief wash over her.
Victor's face turned completely red with absolute fury.
"You have absolutely nothing on me!" Victor shouted.
"Bailing a friend out of jail is not a federal crime!"
Agent Carter turned to face Victor with a cold stare.
"No, it isn't," she agreed calmly.
"But wire fraud, corporate espionage, and money laundering certainly are."
She signaled to the armed agents standing by the door.
"Victor Vance, you are under arrest."
"You have the right to remain silent."
Two agents grabbed Victor by the arms and slammed him against the wall.
They quickly slapped cold metal handcuffs onto his wrists.
The remaining board members sat in stunned silence.
"This isn't over, Ethan!" Victor screamed as they dragged him out.
"Beatrice knows your dirty little secret!"
"She knows what you did in Chicago!"
Victor's voice faded as the elevator doors closed on him.
Ethan stood completely still in the middle of the room.
The color had entirely drained from his face.
He looked like he had just seen a ghost.
Hannah walked over to him and placed her good hand on his arm.
"Ethan?" she asked softly.
"What is he talking about?"
"What happened in Chicago?"
Ethan wouldn't look her in the eyes.
He stared blankly at the mahogany table.
"It is a lie," Ethan muttered quickly.
"It is just a desperate man saying desperate things."
But Hannah could see the absolute terror hiding in his eyes.
She had lived with a liar for months in that terrible estate.
She knew exactly what someone looked like when they were hiding something dark.
Beatrice was still out there, roaming free on bail.
And now, she had a deadly weapon aimed directly at Ethan.
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The battle for the company was finally over.
But the fight for their lives was only just beginning.
