Chapter 25: The Leash of Debt
The medic, a stoic woman named Lena, finished bandaging Liam's ribs. He was patched up, heavily strapped, and furious at his forced immobility. Dr. Vance, meanwhile, was resting in a curtained-off corner, finally sleeping after receiving a mild sedative from Lena.
Evelyn and Marcus sat at a steel table, the Cerebrum Labs flash drive resting between them. The physical evidence was safe, but the tactical situation had shifted dangerously.
"We need to get this to Senator Sharma's office now," Evelyn urged, tapping the table. "This physical proof escalates everything to criminal anti-trust and obstruction of justice. Thorne's lawyers can't appeal their way out of that."
"We can't move yet," Marcus countered, pulling up a secure feed on a tablet. "Thorne's not panicking; he's consolidating. He's filing motions for a temporary restraining order (TRO) on all assets of every former BioGenesis founder, claiming 'pre-emptive seizure due to proven fraud risk.' It's a legal dragnet."
Evelyn watched the screen, seeing the names of the four other silenced founders flicker across the legal document. "He's putting a lien on their golden cages. But why now?"
"He's not interested in their assets, Evelyn," Marcus explained, his voice grim. "He's interested in the debt. He knows that when he files these motions, those founders—who are already living under NDAs—will get a legal letter confirming that their wealth is now under threat of seizure. It's a reminder that their obedience is tied directly to their comfort."
"It's a digital leash," Evelyn realized. "He's tightening the grip."
Marcus nodded. "And it's not just the founders. Look at this." He zoomed in on a separate legal filing, labeled Motion for Financial Review of Confidential Witnesses.
"He's targeting us," Evelyn whispered, her eyes fixed on the filing details.
"He can't touch us directly, but he can attack our financial lifelines," Marcus confirmed. "He's requesting a court-ordered review of all financial transactions related to the security firms and contractors used by the Chronicle investigation. Specifically, anyone with 'anomalous payment histories' or 'unusual cash flow.'"
"He's going after you," Evelyn said. "And Liam."
"He's going after my liquidity," Marcus clarified. "He knows I'm funding the off-books investigation and Aris Thorne's defense. If he can tie my financial stability to your 'fraudulent' scheme, he can choke off the money that is keeping the words alive."
Liam, who had been quietly listening from the back, slowly pulled himself up, wincing. "He's also going after my reputation. He'll paint me as a mercenary who sold out my military contacts for illegal corporate espionage. It's the standard procedure for neutralizing a technical threat."
Evelyn looked at the three of them—the brilliant accountant whose life was about to be scrutinized, the wounded soldier whose honor was about to be attacked, and the broken scientist sleeping in the corner, drowning in debt. Julian Thorne's money wasn't just a shield; it was a devastating offensive weapon.
"We have to beat this TRO," Evelyn declared. "If he gets the freeze on those other four founders, he'll silence them permanently through fear. The legal intimidation will work."
"We can't beat the legal motion in time," Marcus sighed. "It's too fast. But we can use the time we have. We need to send a targeted message to Dr. Elias Vance's wife."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "His wife? Why?"
"Dr. Vance's physical evidence will speak to the law, but his wife's fear will speak to his heart," Marcus explained. "Thorne is tightening the leash on the other founders by threatening their money. We need to remind Vance what he's fighting for. We need to remind him that his silence didn't protect his family; it just bought them a better cage."
Marcus opened a secure email portal and began typing a short, cryptic message to a publicly listed contact for Vance's family foundation—a message that contained just enough truth, and a direct link to a carefully curated selection of Evelyn's reports, to break through the wall of Vance's isolation.
"We fight his financial pressure with a moral counter-pressure," Marcus concluded. "It's a desperate move, but it's the only one we have to ensure Vance's resolve holds long enough for us to deliver this drive."