Engineering teams are openly questioning why the technical review process was rushed. Middle management is demanding answers about the hidden documents. For the first time in days, Graham Vale looked shaken when he passed her office. His usual smooth confidence had cracked. He kept checking his phone, responding to messages with sharp angry gestures.
At 3:00 p.m., a secured email arrived from an anonymous account. Saw your interview. I worked on subcontractor documentation for the deal. What I saw wasn't right. Sending proof.
By 6:00 p.m., Nia's office had become a command center. Daniel spread documents across her conference table while Leila cross-referenced contract details on her laptop. The anonymous sources files were still arriving in encrypted batches. Look at this. Daniel pointed to a spreadsheet.
Projected rate increases of 312% in low-income districts within 18 months. They buried it in technical appendices. And this. Leila turned her screen. Internal memos discussing how to structure the deal so local authorities couldn't block the hikes once implemented.
Nia studied the mounting evidence, her father's voice echoing in her memory. Truth is armor, baby girl. Wear it like steel. A soft knock interrupted them. Carol, Nia's assistant, poked her head in.
Sorry to disturb you. But you should see this. The lobby's getting crowded. Through the security feeds, they watched as community leaders and local residents began gathering in the Aegis headquarters entrance. Many held signs.
Stand with Nia. Protect our water rights. Communities over corruption. Leila squeezed Nia's shoulder. Still think you're fighting alone?
Another batch of files arrived from their anonymous source. Daniel opened them eagerly while Nia watched her phone light up with more messages of support. The truth was finally breaking through. Papers rustled across Nia's desk as fluorescent lights hummed overhead. Empty takeout containers from Wong's kitchen crowded one corner, evidence of hours spent combing through documents.
Coffee cups dotted the landscape of scattered files and sticky notes. Outside her office windows, Washington's evening traffic crawled through darkened streets. Look at this structure, Daniel said, tapping his laptop screen. The procurement chain runs through six different shell companies before reaching the actual contractors. He rubbed his tired eyes.
Omar's fingerprints are all over it, but legally distant enough to claim separation. Leila raised her head from a stack of financial documents. That fits with what I'm seeing in the fee arrangements. The price triggers are buried in technical appendices, but they're devastating. Once a municipality signs, they're trapped.