Chapter 8 - The Cornered Rats
"It's over, Preston," Anthony said, stepping out of the stairwell to shield Sofia.
"We have copies of everything. The police, the feds, they all know by now."
Preston laughed, a dry, hollow sound.
"You really don't understand how power works, do you?" Preston mocked.
"Those files won't see the light of day. Our network intercepts all outgoing traffic in this grid. Your hacker friend in Brooklyn is probably being arrested right now."
Sofia felt a cold knot of dread form in her stomach. Had Jimmy failed?
"Hand over the physical drive, Sofia," Preston commanded, raising the gun to aim directly at Anthony's chest.
"Give it to me, or I'll blow his heart out right here."
Sofia's hand trembled as she reached into her pocket.
"Don't do it, Sofia," Anthony warned, his voice steady.
Suddenly, the heavy oak doors of the office swung open.
Marcus walked out, looking irritated.
"What is taking so long, Preston? Just shoot them and throw them in the incinerator."
As Marcus stepped into the hallway, Anthony noticed something crucial.
When the office door opened, a draft of air blew down the corridor, carrying the distinct, metallic scent of ozone.
The server room was running hot. The ventilation wasn't working.
Anthony locked eyes with his daughter and mouthed a single word: "Duck."
Anthony didn't wait for Preston to pull the trigger.
He lunged sideways, grabbing a heavy brass fire extinguisher from the wall bracket.
In one fluid motion, he hurled the heavy red cylinder directly at the floor-to-ceiling glass window of Marcus's office.
The glass shattered with a deafening crash, instantly altering the air pressure in the room.
The sudden rush of cold, wet air from the storm outside shocked the overheated server towers.
Sparks flew from the main mainframe.
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Preston fired in panic, the bullet grazing Anthony's shoulder.
Anthony grunted, hitting the floor, but he kicked out, sweeping Preston's legs out from under him.
