905 My Father Told Me Not to Come Home for Christmas So I Wouldn't Overshadow My Brother—Hours Later, National News Exposed the Dark Truth He Tried to Bury / Chapter 57 / 60

Chapter 57 - The Override Protocol

The moment the tape recorder’s reels jerked to a stop, the crimson emergency lights in the vault flickered violently, then died altogether, plunging the room into a deep, bruised indigo twilight powered only by the battery backups of Erica’s terminal.

"You just cut the secondary feedback loop," Erica said, her fingers flying across her keyboard with renewed, frantic energy as lines of cascading green code began to flood her screen. "The blast door’s pneumatic pressure valves... they're reversing!"

From deep within the reinforced steel frame of the circular entrance, a heavy, metallic groan echoed through the concrete floor. The hydraulic locking pins—designed to hold against tons of external pressure—began to slide backward with a series of sharp, pneumatic hisses.

"What did you do with the pen?" Liam asked, keeping his weapon trained on the slowly widening gap of the doorway.

"I left it where it belongs," Jason said, his eyes hard as flint. "Viktor wanted a bloodline inheritance. He wanted a legal successor to shoulder the guilt so he could walk away as the benevolent patriarch. But the trust was built on a lie from day one. My father didn't try to steal the syndicate for himself—he tried to burn it down in '74, and Viktor locked him out of the vault first."

Erica’s terminal let out a sharp, triumphant chime.

"Got it!" she cried, pulling her interface cable free with a sharp yank. "The main network backbone for the entire alpine estate is now routed through my mobile deck. I've disabled the local security grid, locked out Viktor’s terminal on the top floor, and triggered the automated asset-transfer protocol to the Swiss Federal Police's secure drop."

"Which means..." Liam prompted, stepping toward the open doorway.

"Which means every single offshore account, shell corporation, and bearer bond tied to Viktor's primary holdings is currently being uploaded directly to the Zurich prosecutors," Erica smiled grimly, slinging her terminal over her shoulder. "By the time the police finish their morning coffee, every asset he owns will be frozen by court order."

"He’s not going to wait for the police," Jason said, starting out of the vault into the sterile white corridor. "He knows the game is over. If he can't control the ledger, he’ll destroy the evidence—and anyone standing in this building."

As they hurried back down the sub-level corridor toward the utility elevator shaft, a low, rumbling vibration shook the walls. It wasn't the sound of an earthquake; it was the heavy, rhythmic thrum of an industrial diesel generator overloading somewhere deep within the mountain's core.

"He’s scuttling the facility," Liam warned, breaking into a tactical jog. "Self-destruct protocol. Standard corporate protocol for high-security intelligence black sites when the perimeter is compromised."

They reached the utility access lift—a heavy steel cage used by maintenance crews to service the upper levels of the chalet. The call button was flashing a harsh, warning yellow.

Jason smashed his fist against the call button. With a screech of aging cables, the elevator cage dropped down from the upper levels, its sliding mesh gate rattling violently as it slammed to a halt on the concrete floor.