Chapter 16 - The Broadcast
Avery ran.
Brooke led her through service tunnels toward the broadcast control room.
The donor gala continued above them.
Music.
Laughter.
Champagne.
None of those people knew what was happening beneath their feet.
They found Hannah locked inside a media closet.
She was shaken but unharmed.
“The laptop,” Avery asked.
Hannah smiled weakly.
“They took the wrong one.”
She pulled a small tablet from beneath her jacket.
“I uploaded the audio from Voss's office before the signal died.”
Brooke stared.
“To where?”
“Three places.”
Avery almost laughed from relief.
Then Hannah's smile faded.
“But audio isn't enough.”
“Voss never clearly admitted the accident.”
Avery removed the camera drive from her shoe.
“Maybe this is.”
They reached the control room.
Two technicians had left for the gala.
Brooke locked the door.
Hannah connected the drive.
Thousands of video files appeared.
Avery searched by date.
The night of Lila's fall.
One clip showed Vale damaging the locking mechanism.
Another showed Keene speaking to him.
“Make sure Cole gets blamed.”
Another showed Voss entering twenty minutes later.
Her words were clear.
“If Hart gets frightened and withdraws, fine.”
“If Cole gets expelled, even better.”
“Just make sure neither girl reaches the board.”
Avery felt sick.
That was enough.
More than enough.
Hannah looked toward the stadium video system.
“We could send this to every reporter.”
Brooke shook her head.
“Voss will call it manipulated.”
Avery looked at the giant control panel.
Then at the live broadcast feed.
“What if forty thousand people see it at the same time?”
Hannah followed her gaze.
A football rivalry event was beginning outside.
The stadium had filled again.
Just like the night Avery was publicly suspended.
Brooke smiled for the first time.
“You want to put it on the scoreboard.”
Avery connected the footage.
Outside, the marching band stopped.
The giant screen went black.
Then Vale appeared.
Forty thousand people watched him damage Lila's harness.
A collective gasp rolled through the stadium.
Then Keene appeared.
Then Voss.
Her voice thundered through every speaker.
“Make sure neither girl reaches the board.”
The control room door shook.
May you like
Someone was trying to get in.
Hannah whispered, “They're here.”
