Chapter 7 - The Betrayal of Justice
"You were the one," Sofía said, her voice shaking as she backed away toward the hole in the wall, keeping the USB drive clutched tightly in her hand. "I called your office. I left a message on your secure line. That’s how the Ivanovs knew I had the files."
Agent Miller didn't lower his weapon. He looked exhausted, his tie loose, sweat glistening on his forehead.
"You don't understand how this city works, Sofía," Miller said, his voice pleading. "The Ivanovs... they have people everywhere. If I didn't give them your name, they would have killed my daughter. They had her photo, they knew her school. I had no choice!"
"There is always a choice," Dmitry’s voice echoed through the vault.
Before Miller could react, Lev stepped through the hole in the wall, his suppressed pistol aimed directly at the agent’s chest.
"Drop the weapon, Agent Miller," Lev said coldly.
Miller looked at Lev, then at the hole in the wall, realizing he was entirely outmatched. Slowly, he lowered his gun, placing it on the polished floor.
Dmitry stepped through the opening, brushing a speck of drywall dust from his cashmere coat. He looked at Miller with a mixture of pity and contempt.
"You sell your badge for the safety of your family, yet you place them in even greater danger by failing your employers," Dmitry said. "The Ivanovs are gone, Miller. Your protectors are dead. Who are you working for now?"
"The New York syndicate," Miller whispered, dropping to his knees. "They are coming for you, Dmitry. They know about the Cyprus accounts. They are using the FBI to seize your assets under the RICO act. If you don't give them the decryption key, they will freeze everything you own by tomorrow noon."
Dmitry looked at Sofía, who was holding the USB drive like a lifeline.
"They cannot freeze what they cannot find," Dmitry said. He turned back to Miller. "You have a choice, Agent. You can die here in this vault, and we will leave your body with the stolen drive’s empty box, framing you as the thief. Or, you can help us."
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"Help you do what?" Miller asked, looking up.
"We are going to give the New York syndicate exactly what they want," Dmitry said, a cold, predatory smile appearing on his face. "We are going to give them the Cyprus ledger. But we are going to edit the names of the beneficiaries first."
