CHAPTER 4
Two paramedics wearing bright blue tactical rain slickers rushed past the arresting officers, dropping to their knees beside me with an emergency trauma kit.
"Sir, keep your head back and stay still," the lead paramedic instructed, cutting open my blood-soaked dress shirt to expose the deep puncture wound along my ribs. "We have a severe laceration near the spleen and massive internal bleeding! Prepare an IV drip and request a priority transport to Harborview Medical Center!"
I gasped for air, the pain burning like hot iron against my side, but my eyes remained locked onto my daughter as she knelt beside me on the wet concrete.
"Hold on, Dad," Elena whispered, taking my blood-stained hand into her warm, soft grip, squeezing tightly without caring about ruining her immaculate manicured nails. "The ambulance is right here. The network is completely secure."
"The... the prototype..." I managed to choke out through split lips, my vision swimming with dark spots as the IV needle punctured my arm.
"It worked, Dad," she smiled through fresh tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks. "The moment Victor touched that folder, the quantum transmitter uploaded his entire offshore ledger to the Department of Defense."
Across the alley, Victor was being forced down onto his knees on the wet pavement, his hands pinned behind his back as heavy iron cuffs clicked tightly around his wrists.
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"You set me up!" Victor screamed, his face pressed against the cold, dirty brick wall as the rain soaked through his custom-tailored suit. "You played me from the very beginning, you ungrateful little bitch!"
"My father taught me that sentiment is the fastest way to lose a business, Victor," Elena said, standing up slowly to look down at the ruined billionaire with supreme contempt. "He also taught me that arrogance is the fastest way to go to federal prison."
