Chapter 9 - The Turn of the Tide
For two long, agonizing minutes, the study was silent save for the heavy breathing of the armed men and the rhythmic ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner.
Sterling’s phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out with a shaking hand, his eyes widening as he read the caller ID.
He answered it, his voice barely a whisper. "Yes?"
The voice on the other end was loud enough for me to hear—a cold, mechanical tone that left no room for negotiation. "The federal server just flagged an encrypted incoming packet from your location. Withdraw immediately. If that file is decrypted, you are a dead man."
The line went dead.
Sterling slowly lowered his phone, looking at Mara with a mixture of terror and profound respect. "You... you actually did it."
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"I don't play games, Doctor," Mara said. "Now, tell your men to drop their weapons. And then, we are going to have a very long talk with the federal authorities."
The two armed men didn't wait for Sterling’s order. They lowered their weapons, backed out of the study, and disappeared down the stairs as quickly as they had arrived, leaving Sterling standing alone in the center of the room.
