Chapter 5: Decrypting the Nightmare
Desperation drove David to his brother’s empty apartment in Queens. His brother was out of the country, leaving behind a secure, offline laptop. David left Mary and Leo locked in the Astoria house and took the micro-SD card.
Sitting in the dim, dusty apartment, David slid the card into the reader. The files were heavily encrypted, but Mary had given him the passphrase: Leo2019.
When the folders decrypted, David felt all the blood drain from his face. Mary hadn't just stumbled upon a smuggling ring; she had uncovered a systemic, deeply entrenched syndicate that trafficked in human organs, heavily insulated by high-ranking politicians, federal judges, and local law enforcement.
He clicked on a file labeled "Inventory." It wasn't numbers. It was photographs. Horrific, clinical photographs of makeshift surgical rooms, manifests of blood types, and names. Hundreds of names. At the very bottom of one of the ledgers was a note, flagged in red: Subject M. Vance - Liability. Neutralize and discard.
May you like
Mary Vance. His wife.
David slammed the laptop shut, his hands shaking violently. He had to get his family out of the country. Tonight.
