Chapter 26 - Final Atonement
Through the smoking hole in the door stepped Victor Vance, flanked by his two last, heaviest-armed mercenaries. Victor’s suit was covered in ash, his face a mask of absolute, unhinged fury.
"Did you really think you could lock me out of my own inheritance?!" Victor screamed, raising his silver cane and firing a hidden caliber round from the tip, shattering one of the server racks near Arthur’s head.
"Upload progress: 85%," the computer chimed in a pleasant, synthetic voice.
"Stop that machine!" Victor ordered his men.
Arthur Vance did not flinch. With his left hand, he slammed a large red emergency button on the console.
Instantly, a heavy, bulletproof plexiglass partition slammed down from the ceiling, separating the main terminal where Arthur sat from the rest of the room, cutting Victor off from the computer—and sealing Maxwell and Martha on the safe side, near the ventilation shaft.
"Father, no!" Maxwell yelled, slamming his fists against the glass.
"Go, Max!" Arthur yelled back through the intercom system, drawing a heavy revolver from his lap. "Live your life! Reclaim our name!"
The mercenaries opened fire on the plexiglass. It spiderwebbed under the barrage of heavy rounds, but it held. Victor, screaming in frustration, grabbed an assault rifle from one of his men and marched directly toward the glass, unloading an entire magazine into the center partition.
Arthur calmly raised his revolver, aiming through the rapidly deteriorating glass.
"Upload progress: 95%," the computer announced.
"Burn in hell, old man!" Victor roared, kicking the weakened glass panel. It shattered into a million pieces.
Before Victor could raise his weapon again, Arthur fired. His shot caught the mercenary on Victor's left straight in the throat, dropping him instantly.
The remaining mercenary returned fire, a hail of bullets tearing through the terminal and striking Arthur in the chest. The old man slumped backward in his wheelchair, blood staining his white shirt, but his hand remained hovered over the keyboard.
"Upload progress: 99%. Awaiting final authorization," the computer chimed.
Victor stepped over the broken glass, marching toward the dying old man, pointing his rifle point-blank at Arthur’s head. "It's over."
Arthur smiled, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He looked up at Victor with absolute pity. "No, son. It's just beginning."
With his last ounce of strength, Arthur slammed his bloody palm down on the ENTER key.
"Authorization accepted. Files transmitted successfully," the computer stated.
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Victor screamed in rage and pulled the trigger.
Maxwell watched his father fall, a primal scream of grief tearing from his throat. Martha grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the open grate of the ventilation shaft with all her strength. "Max, we have to go! Now!"
