CHASING THE BULLET - TREATMENT
Genre: Contemporary Thriller / Financial Drama
Target Audience: Fans of Michael Clayton, Margin Call, John Grisham novels, and those interested in intelligent thrillers rooted in real-world systems
Logline
When a decorated intelligence officer turned bank security investigator uncovers a multi-million-pound mortgage fraud during the 2008 financial collapse, he must navigate a web of lies, institutional corruption, and personal betrayal, only to find that chasing the truth might cost him everything, even as the world unravels around him.
Overview
Chasing the Bullet is a timely and resonant thriller rooted in the real-world implosion of global finance. Through the disciplined yet emotionally unraveling perspective of Reuben Freeman, the novel offers an insider’s view of corporate collapse, the moral erosion of institutions, and the quiet bravery of those who fight to hold the line.
As London swelters in the late summer heat of 2008, the banking world teeters on the edge of disaster. Amid the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, Reuben, a stoic, principled man haunted by past betrayals, detects irregularities in a portfolio of mortgage loans. What begins as due diligence quickly becomes a deep investigation that reveals fraud, deception, and the complicity of his own superiors. At its heart is a shadowy shell company and a charismatic insider, both designed to thrive in the moral vacuum of unchecked capitalism.
As pressure builds and the body count rises, Reuben is forced to confront not only systemic rot, but his own need for redemption. Anchored by his growing bond with Anne-Sophie, a French lawyer who challenges his emotional walls, Reuben must choose between his career and his conscience, between remaining a silent cog or becoming a quiet whistleblower in a world that eats its own.
SYNOPSIS
Short Synopsis:
In the turbulent weeks leading up to the 2008 financial crash, Reuben Freeman, a former military intelligence officer now working in bank security, stumbles upon a massive mortgage fraud. As billions shift hands and reputations crumble, Reuben finds himself caught between duty and truth in a system designed to protect the guilty. With suicide, betrayal, and corruption mounting around him, Reuben’s quiet integrity becomes the only anchor in a collapsing world.
Full Synopsis:
Reuben Freeman lives a life of order, meticulously built after a painful divorce and a decorated military career. Now a security investigator at a global bank in London, Reuben is respected for his discipline, discretion, and keen instinct for deception. When a routine fraud case involving a fabricated client crosses his desk, he handles it with his usual precision. But something feels off.
Soon after, another issue arises, irregularities in a portfolio of mortgage loans tied to Ash Holdings, a suspicious company with no real identity. Reuben assembles a small team to investigate, including veteran analyst Mike Donald and rising star Samantha Lin. Together, they discover a pattern: dozens of overvalued properties, inflated appraisals, and recycled solicitors, all linked to an ambitious bank employee, Will Stevenson.
But just as Reuben prepares to confront him, Stevenson abruptly resigns and disappears. When Reuben digs deeper, he finds that the man who hired Stevenson, Corporate Banking Director David Robinson, personally waived his vetting, despite clear red flags. Before Reuben can press further, Robinson is found dead in his office in an apparent suicide.
The news hits hard. The bank is now under immense pressure as the global economy spirals. But the deeper Reuben goes, the more resistance he faces. His boss, Michel Sanchez, alternates between bureaucratic coldness and inappropriate deflection. Worse, Reuben receives veiled threats and is accused of mismanaging the case. The hunter becomes the hunted.
In a tense final act, Reuben compiles a comprehensive report on the fraud, preserving his findings on a secured laptop and hard copy. But when Sanchez demands the report under threat of termination, Reuben knows he’s standing alone. He chooses discretion over confrontation, for now, securing the documents and returning home to Anne-Sophie, the only person he can truly trust.
The book ends not with explosive arrests or a dramatic court scene, but with quiet endurance. Reuben understands that the real war isn't won in headlines but in holding fast to integrity, even when no one is watching.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
Reuben Freeman
Age: 48
Former British Army intelligence officer; now Head of Security Investigations at a major London bank.
A man of quiet dignity and deeply rooted moral principles. Reuben is sharp, highly observant, and controlled, traits honed by years in combat and intelligence roles. Beneath the surface lies a man wounded by betrayal, grappling with loneliness, and slowly rediscovering the value of emotional connection. His investigation becomes not just a mission, but a path toward personal redemption.
Anne-Sophie Lagalle
Age: 33
French employment lawyer, intelligent, confident, and emotionally grounded.
Anne-Sophie is Reuben’s romantic partner and emotional anchor. She’s worldly, unafraid to challenge power, and serves as a foil to Reuben’s introspection. Their relationship is one of mutual growth, she softens his edges, and he offers her grounded loyalty. She also embodies a more progressive, resilient femininity amid the corporate backdrop.
David Robinson
Age: mid-40s
Director of Corporate Banking. Charismatic, refined, outwardly ethical.
Robinson is a man who appears in control but is hiding internal collapse. His complicity in hiring Stevenson, despite knowing better, makes him a tragic figure. His suicide is both a personal failing and a symbolic warning of systemic rot.
Will Stevenson
Age: 40
Financial adviser and key figure in the mortgage fraud.
Stevenson is ambitious, cunning, and emotionally unreadable. A “big hitter” with a spotless record and large personal wealth, he’s the type of insider who thrives in broken systems. His disappearance before interrogation raises major red flags, and seals his legacy as the ghost in Reuben’s investigation.
Mike Donald
Age: 55
Longtime bank investigator. Loyal, methodical, intuitive.
Mike is Reuben’s most trusted colleague, a seasoned realist who understands institutional games. He complements Reuben with a slightly more cynical worldview and provides levity and grounding in moments of stress.
Samantha Lin
Age: 26
Junior investigator; intelligent, meticulous, analytical.
Samantha is a rising star with a strong moral compass. A law graduate with sharp instincts, she plays a pivotal role in identifying the pattern of fraud and executing the deep data work that uncovers the scheme. She reflects the next generation of professionals willing to challenge the status quo.
Michel Sanchez
Age: 50s
Newly appointed Director of Risk. French-Spanish, spreadsheet-obsessed, emotionally remote.
Sanchez is the embodiment of bureaucratic opacity. His passive-aggressive behavior, inappropriate conduct, and lack of leadership fuel Reuben’s sense of isolation. Whether complicit or simply negligent, he becomes a symbol of the system’s failure to self-correct.
PLOT DEVELOPMENT
ACT I: INCITING INVESTIGATION
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Reuben Freeman handles a simple fraud case, exposing a nonexistent client.
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A larger issue surfaces: a mortgage portfolio with massive losses, tied to a single company (Ash Holdings).
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Reuben is asked to discreetly look into it by Robinson.
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He builds a trusted team—Mike and Samantha, and they begin tracing connections.
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Turning Point: Discovery of systematic fraud involving Stevenson, and the exposure of Robinson’s questionable approval of his hiring.
ACT II: SYSTEMIC FAILURE
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Stevenson vanishes after submitting a sudden resignation, indicating he was tipped off.
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Reuben suspects internal leakage and narrows it to Robinson or Sanchez.
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Robinson is found dead in an apparent suicide.
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Reuben comes under scrutiny; his authority is questioned.
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Sanchez becomes hostile. Reuben suffers migraines and emotional burnout, with Anne-Sophie becoming his only emotional refuge.
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Midpoint: Reuben finishes the investigation and compiles a damning report, risking his career.
ACT III: CHOOSING INTEGRITY
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Reuben is threatened with termination unless he hands over the report.
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He stores it securely and walks out quietly, realizing he's become a liability for knowing too much.
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He returns to Anne-Sophie, physically and emotionally drained.
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The case isn’t prosecuted. The guilty vanish. But the truth exists, preserved by Reuben’s hand.
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Climax: Reuben chooses personal integrity over institutional acceptance.
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Resolution: In a world built to protect power, survival with one’s principles intact becomes the most subversive act of all.
SCRIPT FEEDBACK
WHAT WORKS BRILLIANTLY
Emotional subtlety: Reuben’s journey is as much about internal transformation as external conflict. His relationship with Anne-Sophie brings a welcome human warmth to a high-stakes world.
Realism: The institutional politics, fraud mechanics, and banking atmosphere feel authentic, likely drawn from firsthand knowledge or rigorous research.
Thematic cohesion: The story illustrates how power protects itself, where greed goes unpunished and the honest often suffer in silence.
Pacing: The tension builds organically, mirroring real investigations rather than artificial plot escalations.
WHAT COULD BE FURTHER STRENGTHENED
Female diversity: While Anne-Sophie is well-crafted, she stands alone. Consider expanding or deepening another female character (e.g., Samantha Lin’s POV or inner life).
Moral clarity in Sanchez: If he’s meant to be ambiguous, it’s effective. But if he’s a hidden antagonist, consider one additional scene suggesting intent vs. incompetence.
Ending impact: The ending is thematically powerful, but a single, subtle signal of potential justice, perhaps a leaked report, or a hint that authorities are investigating, could give readers a sense of long-term hope.
CONCLUSION
Chasing the Bullet is a sharp, emotionally intelligent thriller with lasting impact. It will appeal to readers who enjoy corporate drama with moral weight. It has strong potential for adaptation as a limited series or feature film, especially in a post-2008 world hungry to understand the consequences of unchecked systems.
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