They were systematically destroying everything Clara and I had built.
A red warning light suddenly flashed on the top right corner of the screen.
UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED. MASTER LOCK INITIATED.
My heart skipped a beat. By logging in with a legacy code, I had triggered the modern security system. An alert would be flashing on every executive dashboard in the building.
I quickly logged out, cleared the command box, and stood up, moving back to the plastic chair. I sat down, placed my hands on the leather folder, and stared at the door.
Ten seconds later, the heavy oak door burst open.
David stood in the doorway, his face completely drained of color. His phone was clutched in his hand, vibrating furiously. Behind him, I could hear the wail of police sirens approaching the front of the building.
David looked at me, his eyes wide with a terrifying mixture of panic and rage. He looked at the security terminal, then back at me.
"You aren't confused at all, are you?" David whispered, his voice trembling as he realized the magnitude of his mistake.
"No, David," I said, my voice steady, resonant, and cold. "I am not."
David stepped into the room, locking the door behind him again. He reached into his suit jacket. "The police are pulling up right now. Marcus is on his way with the medical transport. You are never walking out of this building as a free man, Elias. You are going to a locked ward, and you are going to die there."
The sound of the police sirens outside grew deafening, then abruptly cut off, replaced by the heavy thud of car doors slamming in the street.
David stood between me and the locked door of the security office, his chest heaving. He had pulled a small, silver thumb drive from his jacket pocket and was staring at me with the feral intensity of a cornered animal.
"You triggered the master lock," David hissed, pointing a trembling finger at me. "I don't know how a senile old farmer remembered an executive override, but it doesn't matter. You just proved Marcus's case for him."
"Did I?" I asked softly, keeping my posture relaxed, my hands resting lightly on the cracked leather folder in my lap. I knew that panic was my enemy. If I raised my voice, if I showed anger, I would only give them the ammunition they needed to justify the conservatorship.
"Yes," David said, a cruel, desperate smile stretching across his face. He held up the thumb drive. "When the police walk through that door, I am going to tell them that an incapacitated ward of the state wandered into my branch, assaulted my security staff, broke into a restricted terminal, and attempted to wire millions of dollars into an offshore account due to advanced dementia paranoias. And Marcus, your loving legal guardian, will sadly confirm it all."
"You drained my wife's trust, David," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "You and Marcus stole twelve million dollars meant for sick children. And you skimmed from the working-class people this bank was built to protect."
David scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Oh, save the righteous founder speech. You and Clara were relics. You built a billion-dollar empire and wanted to give it away to losers who can't balance a checkbook. Marcus brought this bank into the twenty-first century. We just took our rightful commission."
A heavy knock pounded on the door, making David jump.
"Mr. Vance?" a deep voice called from the hallway. "It's the Chicago Police. Open the door, please."
David took a deep breath, smoothed the lapels of his expensive suit, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. His face instantly transformed into a mask of professional concern. He unlocked the door and pulled it open.
Two police officers stepped into the cramped room. They were broad-shouldered and imposing, their hands resting cautiously near their duty belts.
"Officers, thank God you're here," David breathed, perfectly playing the part of a relieved victim. He gestured toward me. "This man is Elias Thorne. He suffers from severe, advanced dementia. He’s under a strict legal conservatorship by our CEO, Marcus Vance. He escaped his caretakers this morning, came into the branch, became violently agitated, and attempted to access our secure mainframe."