Rain began to fall as Daniel's car glided down the highway toward the city center.
Tiny droplets hit the windshield, creating a rhythmic sound that was strangely soothing.
But the atmosphere inside the car was anything but calm.
Everyone was still thinking about the single sentence Daniel had just spoken.
Marcus Sterling had been arrested.
And even more strangely.
the arrest was carried out using evidence sent by Richard Blackwood himself.
Victor Hale finally broke the silence.
"I don't understand."
He looked at Daniel from the back seat.
"Why would Richard Blackwood turn Marcus in?"
Leonard Graves leaned back casually in his seat.
"Because Marcus is no longer useful."
Victor shook his head.
"It can't be that simple."
Daniel spoke softly,
"Marcus is one of the most influential people in the Helix network."
He glanced at Ethan.
"Taking him down means shaking the entire organization."
Leonard smiled slightly.
"Exactly."
Victor looked confused.
"Then why would Richard do it?"
Leonard replied calmly,
"Because sometimes, to save the kingdom, you have to sacrifice one general."
The rain grew heavier outside.
City lights looked like blurred lines behind the car windows.
Ethan had remained silent since Daniel took that call.
His hand gripped the flash drive in his pocket.
His mind was racing.
Daniel finally asked,
"What are you thinking about?"
Ethan answered without turning his head.
"This isn't about Marcus."
Victor frowned.
"Then what is it about?"
Ethan stared at the road ahead of the car.
"My father is cleaning up his tracks."
Leonard nodded in agreement.
"Makes sense."
Daniel said,
"By turning Marcus in, he can look like a whistleblower."
Victor added in a quiet voice,
"And all the blame will fall on Marcus."
Leonard said casually,
"A big criminal working alone."
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"A very convenient story."
The car finally entered the city center area.
Tall buildings stood like giant shadows in the night rain.
Daniel slowed the car as they stopped at a red light.
He turned to Ethan.
"The problem now…"
he paused for a moment.
"…the evidence we have might not be enough anymore."
Victor looked at him in surprise.
"What do you mean?"
Daniel explained,
"If the authorities already have documents from Richard Blackwood…"
he shrugged.
"…they might believe Marcus is the only mastermind."
Leonard added,
"And all other names will disappear from the story."
Victor swallowed hard.
"Including Richard himself."
The rain beat harder against the car windows now.
The traffic light turned green.
Daniel pressed the gas pedal again.
"If that happens…"
he continued,
"…everything we've done so far means nothing."
Ethan finally spoke up.
His voice was calm.
"It still means something."
Daniel glanced at him briefly.
"How?"
Ethan said softly,
"Because we still have something they don't."
Leonard smiled.
"That recording."
Ethan nodded.
"And this flash drive."
Victor said doubtfully,
"But if Richard already controls the narrative…"
Ethan cut him off,
"We'll change the narrative."
Daniel raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have a plan?"
Ethan did not answer immediately.
Instead, he pulled the flash drive from his pocket and stared at it for a moment.
The small object now felt like a key to a much larger war.
Leonard said softly,
"I like that look."
Victor looked at him.
"What look?"
Leonard gestured at Ethan with his chin.
"The look of someone who just thought of something very dangerous."
Daniel let out a small laugh.
"Alright then, Ethan."
He glanced at him again.
"Share your plan."
Ethan put the flash drive back in his pocket.
"We're not just giving this to journalists."
Victor looked confused.
"Then who?"
Ethan answered,
"We're giving it to everyone."
Daniel frowned.
"You mean…?"
Ethan said calmly,
"We're going to make a massive leak."
Leonard grinned widely now.
"Ah."
Daniel understood immediately.
"We spread the files across the internet."
Victor looked at them in shock.
"The whole world?"
Ethan nodded.
"If everyone sees that recording, Richard can't bury it."
Leonard said casually,
"Classic strategy: destroy the game before the opponent can even move."
Daniel thought for a few seconds.
"The thing is…"
he sighed.
"…that will also make us target number one."
Victor said quietly,
"We're already targets."
The rain began to ease as the car stopped in front of Daniel's apartment building.
Daniel turned off the engine.
"Alright."
He looked at Ethan.
"If we do this… there's no turning back."
Ethan opened the car door.
"I have no intention of turning back."
They all got out of the car and ran toward the building entrance.
A few minutes later they were inside Daniel's apartment.
The room was filled with computer screens and electronic equipment.
Victor looked around in awe.
"I always forget you have a hacker's lair."
Daniel sat down in his chair and turned on his system.
"This isn't a hacker's lair."
Leonard replied casually,
"Of course not."
Several screens lit up simultaneously.
Daniel opened his laptop and turned to Ethan.
"The flash drive."
Ethan handed it over.
Daniel plugged it into the computer.
A few seconds later the files inside appeared on the screen.
Documents.
Recordings.
Research data.
And the video they had seen earlier.
Victor swallowed hard.
"If this gets out…"
Leonard finished his sentence,
"…a lot of heads will roll."
Daniel started typing quickly.
"We need to upload this to several anonymous servers."
He glanced at Ethan.
"Once these files spread, no one can stop them."
Ethan stood behind him.
"Do it."
Daniel pressed a few keys.
The upload process began.
A small bar on the screen started moving slowly.
10%.
Victor bit his lip.
"I feel like we're lighting a bomb."
Leonard smiled.
"You're not wrong."
30%.
Daniel kept monitoring his system.
No interference.
No signs of tracking.
60%.
Ethan stood still.
His eyes never left the screen.
80%.
Victor started breathing faster.
"This is really happening."
95%.
Daniel said softly,
"Five seconds left."
The room felt completely silent.
Only the sound of computer fans could be heard.
Then—
100%.
Daniel leaned back in his chair.
"Done."
Leonard nodded approvingly.
"Congratulations."
Victor said quietly,
"We just declared war on the entire Helix network."
Ethan stared at the screen, which now displayed a simple message:
UPLOAD COMPLETE.
But before anyone could say anything
one of Daniel's computer screens suddenly beeped.
A notification popped up.
Daniel frowned.
"What is this?"
He opened the message window.
A few seconds later his expression turned serious.
Ethan looked at him immediately.
"What's wrong?"
Daniel turned slowly.
"An anonymous message."
Victor asked,
"From who?"
Daniel read the message aloud in a soft voice.
"If you want to know the truth about Elena Ward's death…"
he paused for a moment.
"…meet me tomorrow night."
Leonard raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting."
Ethan said,
"Who's the sender?"
Daniel stared at the screen.
At the bottom of the message there was only one signature.
One name.
A name that left everyone in the room silent.
Marcus Sterling.