Chapter 17 - The Capital AmbushYou do not fight a corrupt United States Senator by playing defense in a courtroom. By the time the judge bangs the gavel, your empire is already carved up and sold to the highest bidder. You fight them in the shadows.
By midnight, our private Gulfstream touched down at Dulles International. The jet’s cabin had been transformed into a militarized intelligence bunker.
"Senator Vance isn't doing this for national security," Adrian explained, projecting a massive web of offshore shell companies onto the smart-board. "He is heavily leveraged in a failing defense contracting firm, Vanguard Solutions. He owes millions to foreign creditors. He plans to seize Apex’s tech, license it exclusively to Vanguard, and use our billions to cover his treasonous debts."
"He thinks because he has a badge and a gavel, I will cower," I noted, slipping into a stark-white, tailored Alexander McQueen trench coat. "He thinks I am just a scientist."
We didn't wait for a subpoena. The next evening, Senator Vance was hosting a closed-door, ultra-exclusive fundraising gala at the Kennedy Center.
I did not sneak in. I walked directly through the grand brass doors, flanked by Adrian and a team of four elite private security contractors. The ambient chatter of D.C.’s political elite died down instantly. The sea of billionaires and politicians parted for us.
Senator Vance was standing by the champagne fountain, radiating arrogant, untouchable power. When he saw me, his smug smile widened.
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"Ms. Hastings," Vance purred, stepping forward. "I didn't expect you to leave California. Have you come to hand over the administrative keys to your servers, or do I need to freeze your personal accounts by midnight?"
"I don't surrender, Senator," I said smoothly, stopping three feet away from him. My voice projected clearly over the silent, echoing hall. "And I don't negotiate with men who use the American flag to launder their foreign debts."
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