Chapter 15 - The Trap is Set
The cold morning light of Tuesday broke over Cedar Rapids, casting long, sharp shadows across the frosted lawn. The countdown on the laptop screen ticked down: 32 hours remaining.
We didn't call the local police. We didn't contact the FBI through standard bureaucratic channels. Instead, using my encrypted corporate terminal, I placed a direct, secure call to an old college roommate of mine—Marcus Sterling, currently the senior director of international operations for the Department of Justice’s financial crimes division in Washington, D.C.
It took thirty minutes of encrypted data sharing, sending over the ledger pages, the offshore account details, and the digital fingerprint of the flash drive Julian had left behind, before Marcus came back on the secure line.
"Conrad, where did you get this?" Marcus asked, his voice tense and hushed. "Apex Group has been on our target list for over five years. They're a high-level corporate elimination and extortion syndicate operating out of Zurich and the Caymans. We've never been able to touch them because their primary accounts are shielded by diplomatic proxies."
"They're currently trying to extort twenty million dollars from me to cover my mother's defaulted debts," I said evenly. "And they sent an operative straight to my home last night."
Marcus was silent for a moment. I could hear the rapid clicking of a keyboard on his end.
"Alright, Conrad. Here is what we do," Marcus said decisively. "You play along. You initiate the cryptocurrency transfer using the wallet address they provided. But instead of sending clean corporate funds, our cyber-crimes unit will inject a military-grade tracking worm into the transaction block. The moment they attempt to decrypt or withdraw the funds on their end, our systems will lock down their primary server nodes across three continents, exposing every single physical asset, safe house, and operative they have."
"And my family?" I asked, my voice tight. "What happens to us while the worm is propagating?"
"We send an elite tactical protection detail to your estate within the hour," Marcus assured me. "They'll be stationed inside and around your property in plainclothes. When Julian or his associates show up to collect confirmation, federal agents will be waiting."
"Do it," I said without hesitation.
By noon, four federal marshals disguised as local utility and landscaping workers had quietly secured our suburban estate. Gemma and Maeve were briefed on the security protocol, keeping calm with remarkable courage. Vivienne sat beside me in the study, her fingers interlocked with mine as the countdown timer ticked past the final three-hour mark.
At exactly 2:00 PM, my private cell phone rang.
It was an unknown caller ID.
I hit speakerphone so Vivienne and the recording equipment could capture every second.
"Pendelton," I answered, my voice steady.
"I trust you've reviewed the file, Mr. Pendelton," Julian’s smooth, dangerous voice came through the receiver. "The countdown is nearing its conclusion. Do we have a transfer confirmation?"
I looked at the laptop screen, where Marcus’s cyber team had just given me the green light to deploy the payload.
"The transfer is initiated, Julian," I said, a cold smile forming on my lips. "Every single cent is heading your way right now."
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"A wise choice, Conrad," Julian chuckled softly on the other end. "Enjoy your empire while it lasts. My associates are arriving at your front gate right now to verify the cryptographic signature in person."
"Tell them not to bother ringing the doorbell," I replied softly. "The federal agents are already waiting to let them in."
