Chapter 26: The Unraveling Thread
The sterile quiet of the industrial unit was broken only by the hum of Lena's medical equipment and the rhythmic tapping of Marcus's fingers on the keyboard as he finalized the coded message to Mrs. Vance.
Evelyn, still operating on pure adrenaline, walked over to Liam. He was resting on a cot, his expression tight with controlled pain.
"Liam," Evelyn began, her voice low. "Thorne's going after your firm. He's filing motions to scrutinize all your recent transactions."
"Standard procedure," Liam confirmed, not opening his eyes. "He'll try to prove I was paid a criminally anomalous sum to participate in 'corporate espionage.' It won't stick, but it'll bury my company in audits and lawsuits for a year."
"I'm sorry," she said, genuinely distressed by the cost of their partnership.
Liam finally opened his eyes, and the blue intensity in them made her breath catch. "Don't apologize. It was my choice. This is the price of tangling with this level of power. The only thing I regret is leaving those three agents standing on that dock."
He reached out slowly and grasped her wrist, his touch firm and anchoring. "You need to focus on Vance. That moral pressure Marcus is applying? It has to hit home before Thorne's legal motion hits the wire."
The Digital Distraction
Marcus finished his work. "Message sent. It's a highly encrypted, non-traceable email disguised as a charity donation receipt. It contains a private link to the Chronicle's unedited, internal archive of Aris Thorne's initial testimony—the one where he describes Vance's research as 'the most promising work of our generation.'"
"It doesn't directly mention the ledger or the escape," Evelyn noted.
"It doesn't have to," Marcus said, zipping up his laptop. "It reminds her what her husband sold, and what the true cost of that wealth is. It shows her the difference between his current gilded silence and the heroic legacy he abandoned. It's a pinprick into the golden cage."
Just as they finished, Evelyn's secure comms piece—the one Marcus had provided—chirped with an urgent incoming transmission.
It was Senator Anya Sharma.
"Evelyn, where are you? We have a serious problem," Sharma's voice was strained, clearly speaking from an insecure location. "Thorne's legal team just filed a counter-motion against the asset freeze. They're demanding the immediate release of the Cayman trust funds, claiming the freeze is causing 'catastrophic global market destabilization.'"
"That's a lie!" Evelyn shot back.
"It's a powerful lie! And worse, they've attached affidavits from two of the other founders—Dr. Li and Dr. Chen—swearing that the entire ledger is a fabrication created by Aris Thorne to defraud the company. They've legally ratified the lie."
Evelyn felt a crushing sense of defeat. "They caved. Thorne's legal threats worked."
"Exactly. The money spoke, and they listened. Two out of the five original founders are publicly denying the ledger, and the court is starting to lean toward unfreezing the assets. The physical proof is our only chance. You have to get that drive to me in D.C. immediately."
"We're already moving," Evelyn promised. "We'll have the drive to you within twelve hours."
A Tightening Net
They couldn't drive to D.C. Flying commercially was out of the question; their movements were being watched by every agency on Thorne's payroll.
"We need a private flight," Liam said, pushing himself up, ignoring the twinge in his ribs. "Marcus, can you arrange secure, untraceable air travel?"
"That level of security costs a fortune, even for a short hop," Marcus warned.
"I'll pay it," Evelyn declared. "Use my severance package. Whatever it takes."
Marcus, already typing furiously, shook his head. "No. Thorne is watching your finances. Any large, sudden withdrawal will flag you. I'll use my own funds, but I'll need a legitimate cover story. Liam, you're the distraction."
"How?" Liam asked.
"I need you to stage a highly visible, public exit from the city—a ghost operation. You'll acquire a non-existent package from a fake contact at LAX, creating a digital trail that Thorne's surveillance will follow across the country. Meanwhile, Evelyn and Vance will travel via an underground network."
"What underground network?" Evelyn questioned.
"It's an old favor," Marcus said, meeting her eyes. "A network of people who trust me because I helped them fight a different kind of corporate fraud years ago. They owe me one ride. But we have to move now. The window is closing."
Evelyn watched Marcus, realizing the depth of the commitment he was making. He wasn't just risking his money; he was exposing his own fragile network of trust, all for the truth.
"Let's go, then," Evelyn said, looking at Liam. Their partnership was about to face its most complex challenge yet: splitting up, creating a false trail, and trusting an invisible network to deliver the ultimate weapon to D.C.
The fate of the ledger, the 'HUSH' fund, and the truth now rested on an elaborate deception built with money, loyalty, and a dangerous amount of faith.