👉 Previous Choice: You chose Option B – Hand Clara’s sworn testimony directly to Federal Agent Howard O’Connell and lure Marcus into a private, one-on-one confrontation in the executive suite while federal agents surround the building.
The thought of facing Marcus in his lair, alone, sickened me. My strength lay in my intellect, not in desperate physical confrontation. Clara’s legal affidavits were my true weapon.
I contacted Federal Agent Howard O’Connell, whose name Clara had given me. A terse, formal woman with sharp eyes and an unflappable demeanor, Agent O’Connell met me in an unmarked car on a discreet street corner.
She took the heavy folder, her expression unreadable as she flipped through Clara’s meticulous notes, the sworn testimonies, and the chilling photographs of the altar. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
“This is significant,” she said, her voice clipped and professional. “Occult trafficking, federal fraud statutes, even potential charges of ritualistic human sacrifice. This is a federal task force operation, Kincaid.”
She looked at me, her gaze steady. “We move swiftly. A full federal raid on Aetheris Technologies is being prepared. But we need to secure Marcus and prevent him from destroying physical evidence or triggering a facility-wide severance protocol. He’s powerful, and he’s connected.”
“He just called me,” I said, my voice tight. “Invited me to a ‘private induction’ in the subterranean vault tonight.”
Agent O’Connell’s eyes narrowed. “That’s a trap, or an opportunity. Your brother values control. He will want to gloat, to break you personally. We can use that.”
She outlined the plan. Federal agents would surround Aetheris Technologies, sealing off all exits. A specific unit would breach Sub-Floor 8 and the vault beneath. But I had to play my part.
“Lure him to the penthouse executive suite,” she instructed. “Keep him there, distracted, alone. No security, no audience. Just you and him. It will prevent a panic, prevent him from activating anything catastrophic. And it gives us time to secure the sub-levels.”
My stomach churned. Facing Marcus, alone, felt like walking into a viper’s nest. He knew my weaknesses, knew how to twist my mind. But the alternative was letting him continue his monstrous work.
“I’ll do it,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady.
Agent O’Connell nodded. “Good. We’ll be in position within 45 minutes. Contact me the moment he arrives in the penthouse. Use this.”
She handed me a tiny, discreet comms device. It felt impossibly small, yet weighted with the fate of hundreds of souls.
“Remember,” she warned, “he will try to break you. Don’t let him. Stick to the truth, Kincaid. It’s the one thing he can’t manipulate.”
I nodded, the comms device clutched in my palm. My role was set. The silent confrontation. The federal net was closing around Aetheris, but I was the bait.
➡️ Read CHAPTER 11 to continue the story
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