PART 8 – Vault 408
The heavy steel door of the vault room sealed behind us with a dull, airtight thud. The shrill sound of the alarm was swallowed by the thick, soundproof walls. The vault room was immense: walls of polished stainless steel lined with thousands of small and large deposit boxes, illuminated by a stark, cold white light.
The receptionist was trembling all over as he led us past rows of safe-deposit boxes. "Here... row seven, compartment B," he stammered.
We stopped in front of a silver door engraved with the number 408. Next to the keyhole sat a small digital panel with a glass scanner.
Daniel looked at the panel. "Arthur, your finger."
I stepped forward. My hands were shaking so violently I struggled to place my right thumb on the scanner. The scanner's red beam slid across my skin three times.
Beep. Green light.
"Identification accepted: Arthur Van Dijk," a mechanical voice said from the wall.
Daniel inserted the copper key into the lock and turned it a quarter-turn. With a heavy mechanical click, vault 408 unlocked. Daniel pulled the steel door open.
Inside lay an oblong metal cassette. Daniel carefully lifted the cassette out and placed it on the small glass table in the center of the vault room. The receptionist retreated fearfully into a corner.
With a swift motion, Daniel opened the lid of the cassette.
Inside lay no stacks of money or glittering jewels. There was an old, black cassette tape labeled 'Interrogation 1981 - Harrison Case', a series of official documents stamped by the Ministry of Justice, and a small, sealed envelope with my name written on it.
Daniel grabbed the documents and flipped through them frantically. His eyes widened with every page he read.
"This is irrefutable evidence," he whispered in disbelief. "The current senator, Raymond Vance—the father of the man standing outside—personally ordered my father's disappearance thirty years ago. He took millions in bribes from an international crime syndicate. Thomas gathered all the original bank statements and witness affidavits right here."
"My God..." I whispered. "Thomas kept this hidden all this time?"
"He kept it as an insurance policy," Daniel said. "As long as this material remained safely stored away, Vance didn't dare move against Thomas or you. But when Thomas realized he was gravely ill, he knew the protection would fall away once he died. Vance discovered Thomas was dying and began searching for the vault."
I picked up the small envelope intended for me. With trembling fingers, I tore the paper open. Inside was a handwritten note from Thomas.
Dearest Arthur, If you are reading this, I am no longer here. Forgive me for never telling you the full truth. I wanted to protect you from the darkness I once got tangled in. The boy you gave gloves to in 1981 was no coincidence. He was the son of the man I couldn't save. I kept an eye on him all these years. He turned into a good man. Trust him. He will finish what I couldn't. I love you. Your Thomas.
Tears streamed down my cheeks. The man with whom I had shared life's joys and sorrows for over forty years had fought a secret battle, purely to protect me and an innocent child.
Suddenly, a dull explosion echoed near the entrance of the vault depot. The entire room vibrated slightly.
"They're through the shutter," Daniel said in a hard, cold tone. He shoved the documents and the cassette tape into his inner pocket. "We can't stay here. There's an emergency exit at the back of the vault room that leads to the underground parking garage."
He looked at the receptionist. "Where is the keycard for the emergency exit?"
The receptionist pointed a trembling hand toward a door at the end of the hallway. "There... but it only opens if the main alarm is disarmed from the central control panel."
At that moment, the heavy steel door of the vault room burst open with a loud crunch.
Vance stepped inside, covered in soot from the blast. In his hand, he held his gun, his eyes glinting with a wild, ruthless madness. Behind him stood two armed men.
"The game is over, Daniel," Vance said, pointing the gun straight at Daniel. "Hand over the material. You don't stand a chance."
Daniel looked at Vance, then briefly at me. I saw a flash of determination in his eyes.
"You're too late, Vance," Daniel said calmly. "The evidence has already been uploaded."
Vance hesitated for one single second. And in that one second of hesitation, Daniel did something no one expected.
