Page 117 of Whistleblower

“A couple hours. Eden—please just tell her what she wants to know. How much more of this can you take?”

I clear my throat. “What she’s after, I don’t have. You’re hurting me for no reason.”

As I shift, I feel a twinge in my ribs, where earlier Harmon’s fist collided with my midsection so hard, I was certain one of my internal organs busted. Opening my mouth, I wordlessly ask for another sip of water. This time he gives me enough to gulp. The cool liquid washes over my empty stomach, making it growl.

Funny. Dad was right…the hunger hurts. My face is numb. My headache is dull. My ribs ache, but it’s not too bad if I don’t move. Even the stinging from my wrists rubbed raw against the ties is starting to fade, but the hunger is loud. It’s been over twenty-four hours since I’ve eaten, and there’s no one here to rescue me and feed me Doritos.

Harmon opens his mouth to say something but shuts it quickly when Ravi reenters the room. I hang my head in defeat when I see the small silver tube in her hand.

“It took me a minute to realize what this was when I found it in your purse.” I simply blink at her cold, angular face that’s twisted up in a wicked smile. “Are you going to talk, Eden, or are we about to figure out what this does?”

My entire body preemptively braces. My tone is more pleading than I intend it to be, but at this point what’s left to hide? Yes, I’m scared. Yes, I want to live. Should I be ashamed of that?

No, Eden. We’re going to get through this. Keep her talking.

My rational brain wakes up and I suppress the urge to ask her, out loud, where the fuck she’s been for the past few hours.

“Ravi, for a moment, humor me. What if I really don’t know what you’re talking about? Have you considered that? How can I give you what you want if I don’t know what it is? Please.”

She angles her head and blinks at me a few times. “I don’t like my time wasted.”

“I’m not trying to waste your time.”

“Pierre Corky, or Porky as you call him, already told us that there’s only one remaining copy of the data Empress collected for us. The user names, the categories, the groups—all of it. The entire digital marketplace was backed up, and we know you have it. He told us you have it.”

Dammit, Porky. Liar.

“Why?”

“You want to know why I’m looking for the resource I commissioned? Are you that fucking stupid?” Ravi snarls at me.

“Why did you want the data in the first place? I keep thinking about it and thinking about it and I can’t figure it out. The marketplace would’ve allowed known terrorists to recruit a lot of impressionable social media users to do awful, evil things. There would’ve been mobs storming the streets. They would’ve called on law enforcement, the FBI, and DIA, to clean up the mess. Why would you want to create such chaos in our country? I don’t understand.”

“But you understand how performance and funding works, right? Isn’t that part of HR?” I level a blank stare at her. I’m going to die today, and the worst part is that HR will be carved on my tombstone because still—nobody understands what my actual job is. Good grief.

Ravi ignores my reaction and continues, “Corporate and government agencies are much the same. You give funding to your most successful departments.”

“Okay,” I say. Just keep her talking, Eden. “I still don’t understand.”

“Between the war, election, international threats, and cyber warfare, the CIA, DIA, and homeland security are the highest priority. The FBI is starving. Our recruits are lackluster. We’re being picked to the bones. I was tasked to demonstrate the true value of the FBI. We needed more cases—easy cases. It’s as simple as that.”

I let out a deep breath, understanding finally washing over me.

It’s clever. It’s fucking evil, but it’s clever.

And scary. Because it would’ve worked.

Never underestimate the influence of social media. You can take a perfectly sane person and drive them to extremes by anonymous bullying, public humiliation, and harassment. But starting with someone who already craves chaos and violence and feeding them the most enticing bait—we would’ve been in a state of war… In need of heroes.

“You were trying to provoke crimes, so you could be the first to stop them. All to build your number of successful cases closed… That’s what this is all about, isn’t it? That’s also why you wanted PALADIN under your command. You were basically raising pigs for the slaughter, and they were your suicide squad. You wouldn’t even have to lift a finger.”

Ravi chuckles. “It’s not that wicked. The wretched lowlifes that Empress singled out are bound to do something stupid in their lifetime. Why not draw them out now and put them in the ground? Let’s call it, preventative justice.”

I glance at Harmon, whose jaw is dropped. Apparently, we’re both just learning of Ravi’s malicious overarching plan for agency dominance.

“Eden, I’ll let you go,” Ravi says, softening her demeanor. “Just hand it over and walk away—it’s that simple.”

“I don’t have it. Why do you—”

---