Chapter 8 - The Recording
They returned to Creed after midnight.
The restaurant was closed.
Broken glass still covered part of the marble floor.
Sarah walked to the dining area.
She stopped beside the table Roman had crashed through.
Alex watched.
“Where is it?”
Sarah pointed to the floor.
“The fork.”
Alex looked confused.
“The silver fork?”
Sarah nodded.
During her final operation twelve years ago, she had hidden a tiny encrypted storage chip inside a modified fork.
The fork had been placed inside Meridian's headquarters.
Years later, it had been transported through several businesses until it ended up in Creed's private collection.
Sarah had recognized it earlier that night.
That was why she had been watching the floor.
She picked it up.
A small compartment opened beneath the handle.
Inside was the chip.
Alex stared.
“What does it contain?”
“Everything.”
They took it to a secure room.
The recording began.
A man's voice filled the speakers.
Victor.
He was younger.
He was speaking to Alex's father.
Meridian wasn't simply collecting information.
They were controlling people by threatening their families.
Then came a second voice.
Alex's mother.
She had discovered the network.
She had wanted to expose it.
Victor had betrayed her.
Alex sat frozen.
“My mother knew.”
Sarah nodded.
“She tried to save Matteo.”
The recording continued.
Victor explained that Matteo would be blamed for the family's financial problems.
Then Alex heard his own father's voice.
“Leave my sons alone.”
The recording ended.
Alex's eyes filled with tears.
For decades, he had believed his father had chosen business over family.
Now he understood.
His father had been fighting to protect them.
But one final file appeared on the chip.
A document created only six weeks ago.
Victor had ordered a new operation.
The target wasn't Alex.
It wasn't Sarah.
It was Matteo.
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And the planned execution date was tomorrow.
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