Chapter 32
The landscape slowly transformed from dense mountain forests to rolling hills, marked by sprawling horse farms and winding country fences.
James kept the truck steady at fifty miles per hour, refusing to drive any faster to avoid drawing the attention of local state troopers.
The silver drive rested on the metal bench between Claire and me, reflecting the harsh midday light like a tiny, dangerous mirror.
Suddenly, a low, rhythmic beep began to echo from the dashboard of the truck, a sound that wasn't part of the vehicle's original analog systems.
James frowned, his eyes darting to a small, modified radio housing that my father had welded beneath the glove compartment.
A single red light was pulsing rapidly, indicating an active radio frequency override from an external source.
"Someone is broadcasting on an old, secure family frequency," James muttered, his grip tightening on the steering wheel until his knuckles cracked.
He reached over and flipped a heavy toggle switch, causing a wave of static to burst through the small, low-fidelity speaker.
Through the white noise, a cold, chillingly familiar voice drifted into the cabin of the moving truck, sending a shiver straight down my spine.
"I know you can hear me, boy," the voice said, smooth, calculating, and completely devoid of any human empathy or fear.
It was Charles Brooks himself, broadcasting through an old shortwave satellite array that my grandfather had helped design decades ago.
"You think you've won because you escaped Vance's little tomb with that pathetic piece of silver hardware," he continued, a faint sneer evident in his tone.
"But you fail to realize that the Black Slate isn't just a collection of historical files or corporate blackmail material."
"It is an active, automated network protocol that monitors the vital signs of the primary shareholders, including the late General Vance."
"The moment his heart stopped beating, a hard-coded countdown sequence was initiated across every single Apex data server on the planet."
"In exactly four hours, the entire system will execute a total data deletion script, wiping every shred of evidence and taking down global financial systems with it."
"You have the only physical decryption key that can halt the purge, but you will never make it to Virginia in time to stop the collapse."
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The transmission snapped shut with a harsh clatter of static, leaving us in a stunned, suffocating silence inside the roaring truck cabin.
Claire looked at me, her face pale as the realization hit us that Brooks was willing to burn the entire world down just to escape justice.
