Page 54 of Escape into the Night

For months, we have been diligently investigating a web of corruption that has infiltrated the highest levels of our government. This conspiracy is rooted deep within the Central Intelligence Agency, intertwined with powerful political figures, foreign interests, and corporate elites who have placed their own greed and selfish ambitions above the safety and sovereignty of this country.”

Elias let his eyes wander over the audience. “This is not a theory. This is not speculation. This is fact. And today, I am here to present to you the truth. Truth you deserve to hear. Truth you need to hear.”

He turned and gestured toward a massive screen that flickered to life with a button controlled by Caleb. It was mostly for show. All the documents he intended to show had already been systematically released to every major media outlet. Thefirst document was an official CIA memorandum, unredacted and revealing directives that implicated high-ranking officials in illegal operations.

“Here we have classified CIA documents detailing unauthorized surveillance on American citizens. Journalists, political rivals, even members of our own military. The corruption runs far deeper than mere overreach. It is treason of the highest order. The very agency sworn to protect us has been compromised by individuals who have manipulated intelligence, framed innocent men and women, and orchestrated acts of depraved violence to maintain their stranglehold on power.”

The image on the screen changed to display financial records. The money trails and transactions funneled through offshore accounts all linked back to the highest inner circles and were now broadcast for all to see in the brilliant morning light. A ripple of gasps ran through the audience. Reporters scribbled furiously in notebooks. Many whispered into their microphones, delivering the devastating news in real time. Elias continued in a clear, steady voice.

“Many of you will ask, how do we know this? How can we prove it? I assure you all that we have the testimony of whistleblowers, of many brave men and women who are risking their lives to help uncover the truth. We have decrypted files recovered from within the agency itself. We have confessions, hard evidence, and a trail of bodies left behind by those who sought to silence the truth.”

Another slide shifted onto the screen, displaying names. Some were known, many were unknown, but all had one thing in common—they had either died or disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

“We have traitors among us. People who are established in the highest levels of the government and have systematically positioned themselves at the very heart of this conspiracy.We have evidence that these people have been involved in coordinating these operations, using the intelligence community as their personal weapon to manipulate the President, frame innocent individuals, and endanger our national security for their own gain.”

A sudden swell of voices erupted from the crowd, furious and outraged. Others were shocked into silence. Elias held up a hand to bring quiet back to the audience.

“We have proof. We have evidence that will unravel the entire operation. And we will not stop until every last traitor is held accountable. This is not just a scandal. This is not merely political maneuvering. This is an act of war against the American people.”

Another slide revealed logs of secret meetings between high-ranking CIA officials and foreign assets. A second slide flashed transactions between corrupt officers and defense contractors tied to international war profiteering. A third displayed intercepted messages that confirmed the framing of innocent men like his Theo. He let the information settle before continuing his speech.

“We have a choice. We can look away. We can try to pretend we never saw this. We can act like this isn't real, that it isn't happening. And that’s what they are counting on. I intend to fight back.”

The murmuring in the crowd grew louder as emotions crackled through the air. Elias lifted his voice higher, calling out over the outraged fray.

“I am calling on Congress to initiate immediate hearings. I am calling on law enforcement agencies to reject the rot within and uphold their oaths. Oaths made not to corrupt leaders, but to the Constitution of the United States of America! I am calling on every American citizen to stand with us, to demand accountability and justice. To those within the CIA and withinour government, those who know the truth and are afraid to come forward, I am calling you to do the right thing. We will protect you. History will judge those who stand idly by.”

Elias’ hands shook as he took a deep breath before delivering the final blow. “This is not the end. This is only the beginning. The fight for our democracy starts today. The fight for our great nation starts today.”

A reactionary roar surged through the crowd. Reporters shouted questions into the air. Some people cheered. Others stared in shock as they struggled to process the weight of what had been revealed. Within seconds, the rebuttals began. Everywhere around him, the air vibrated with the buzz of phones, likely flashing with official statements from government offices, from the CIA, from political figures scrambling to contain the fallout. A few in the audience screamed about treasonous slander. Many demanded an investigation. Gradually, miraculously, a semblance of order came to the rabble of noise. A chant. A mantra. The unofficial motto of his campaign, cried out by supporters amongst the crowd.

“Enough is enough! Enough is enough!”

Elias exhaled and stepped back from the podium as the chaos unfolded across the National Mall. He glanced to the side and caught Caleb’s eye. They exchanged a nod. A silent acknowledgment of approval. They’d fired the first shot. The battle had begun. This first battle that would mark the start of a war that wouldn't soon be forgotten. A war to save the country, with Elias standing at the frontline.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Taz

TheFBICyberOperationsCenter was a controlled chaos of voices, screens, and relentless keystrokes. Rows of analysts sat at their stations in front of multiple monitors that reflected scrolling data streams, live intelligence feeds, and government databases. Every few seconds, yet another alert would pop up as new media coverage dropped, more official responses from government agencies were released, or new movement on CIA accounts got flagged. The air reeked of burnt coffee and stress sweat. Somewhere in the background, a vending machine gave a metallic banshee shriek of protest. And for some stupid reason, someone who claimed to have a brain decided Taz should be in charge of it all. They were evidently a fucking moron.

Taz’ station had six monitors stacked in an arc around him. His fingers flew over the closest keyboard as he routed an encrypted data packet through multiple firewalls. The overwhelming flood of information streamed over the screens without pause. The headset he wore was slightly askew, mostly because he couldn't stop tugging at it. Irritation spiked every single time it slipped. He hadn't slept. He hadn't eaten. He didn'tgive a flying fuck. There was work to do and the only thing that mattered was not fucking this up. No pressure, right?

Forcing himself to focus, Taz shifted between windows as he tracked the internal response from the CIA in real-time. They were running scared and he took a certain amount of sick pleasure from it. The panic had their systems scrambling and their internal comms locked. Fraying, really. Elias’ press conference had hit with the force of a sledgehammer, shattering the carefully constructed walls of their secret fuckery. Now, it was the Bureau’s job to fully mobilize. He had people cross-referencing names, verifying evidence, setting up task forces to bring in the traitors before they could scatter like cockroaches after the light switched on.

“Somebody needs to pull their head out of their ass long enough to talk to me! Where are we on the warrants?” Taz’ voice was sharper than he intended but he was beyond the point of finding a single fuck to give about their feelings.

Agent Ramirez, one of the more senior analysts, shot him a dirty look. “We’re working on it, but the DOJ is dragging their feet. They’re getting pressure from above.”

“I care about this much.” Taz held up a hand with his index finger and thumb squished together. He ruffled his already messy hair and once again straightened his headset. “Tell them to grow a pair of balls! We have enough probable cause to drown the entire DA’s office. Half the country just watched Elias drop the mother of all truth bombs. If we wait too long, every rat on that list will vanish.”

“We’re prioritizing confirmed assets first, Agent Wilkes. Cross-referencing locations, tracking financial movements, checking for anyone trying to flee the country.” The agent had a name. Taz just didn't care what it was. He was already twitchy over being called Agent Wilkes.

“AKA doing your job. Good. Great. Did you want a gold star, ‘cause I'm fresh out. Talk to me when a name pings at an airport security checkpoint. I want agents there to intercept.” Taz clicked through a few more windows as he called over the bedlam. The data was overwhelming, even for him, but he couldn't afford to hesitate. His stomach twisted with a hollow, gnawing sensation. He didn't deserve to be here. He didn't deserve this seat at the head of the table. Todd’s dying declarations of his ineptitude taunted his thoughts, even as he actively worked to drown them out. He wasn't a real agent. Not like Luke or any of the other agents out in the field. Hell, he wasn't even a real agent like the rest of the men and women sitting here in their temperature-controlled office with the hum of computers and fluorescent lights buzzing all around them.

Luke was out there, in danger, probably crawling around in some dirty back alley to track down a traitor who had nothing left to lose. The thought made his skin itch and his hands shake as he typed. He was useless out there, and he was useless in here.You're a PTSD-ridden waste of a position—

No. No, he had a job to do. He swallowed down the rising bile with a sharp huff, shoving the fear back down where it belonged as he turned his attention back to another flagged alert.

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