The 50-Million Dollar Loophole: How One Widow Broke the Bank

Chapter 17: The Escape

"Police! Open up!" a voice boomed through a heavy megaphone. The reinforced metal door groaned as a battering ram slammed against it.

"They tracked the data recovery ping!" the tech screamed, diving under his desk and throwing his hands over his head.

Julian didn't freeze. His survival instincts kicked into overdrive. He lunged over the desk and yanked the USB flash drive directly from the terminal.

The door hinges splintered with a deafening crack. Heavily armed tactical officers flooded into the tiny basement, sweeping the room with blinding flashlights.

Julian sprinted toward the back hallway, clutching the digital asset protection drive to his chest. This flash drive was the only proof of the massive corporate espionage claim.

"Stop right there!" an officer yelled, raising his weapon. Julian ducked hard as a rubber bullet shattered a monitor right where his head had just been.

He crashed through the cramped storage room, his shoulder slamming into a rusted fire exit. He kicked the push-bar with all his might, bursting out into the freezing rain.

He scrambled up the slippery metal stairs of the fire escape, his heart hammering against his ribs. He had to secure a criminal defense lawyer, but first, he had to secure his mother.

If the corrupt police force was raiding the tech's shop, they knew Julian was closing in on the truth. Sterling would accelerate the timeline.

He rushes back to Eleanor's house, only to find the front door kicked open.