Chapter 5 - The War at Dawn
The garage fell back into an eerie, suffocating silence, broken only by the sound of Diana’s ragged breathing and the distant drip of water from an overhead pipe.
I stood up slowly, the phone still clutched in my hand, the screen glowing faintly against the darkness.
“Marcus,” Diana whispered, scrambling to her feet and grabbing my arm. “You’re not going to pay them, are you? They’ll kill him anyway. They’ll kill both of us!”
“They won't kill him,” I said, my voice dropping into a cold, lethal register that I hadn't used since I took over Moretti Logistics years ago. “Because they still need my signature on those transfer papers to make the acquisition legal. Until I sign, Evan is their only leverage.”
I turned around, heading back toward the private elevator core that led back up to the penthouse.
“Where are you going?” Diana asked, her voice cracking with panic.
“To get the flash drive out of the master safe,” I said without stopping. “And then, we’re going to Pier 42.”
“Are you insane? The man on the phone said come alone! If they see you coming with backup—'”
“Who said anything about backup?” I interrupted, turning to face her with a fierce, dangerous light in my eyes. “I’m not calling the police, Diana. But I’m not walking into a trap unarmed either.”
When we stepped back out of the elevator into the penthouse, the sixty guests were gone. Arthur Sterling had apparently taken charge during my absence, evacuating the terrified investors through the main service lobby before the situation could spiral into a full-scale public scandal.
Only Rosa and little Lily remained, sitting quietly in the corner near the kitchen island. Lily was still clutching her filthy stuffed rabbit, her big eyes blinking sleepily against the late hour.
When Rosa saw me walk in with Diana, she immediately stood up.
“Mr. Vance... are you alright? The police arrived downstairs just as Mr. Sterling’s car pulled away, but—”
“It’s fine, Rosa,” I said, walking briskly toward my private study. “Take Lily and wait in the secure residential wing. Lock the doors behind you. Don't open them for anyone except me.”
“Yes, sir,” Rosa murmured, scooping Lily into her arms. As she passed me, the little girl leaned over Rosa's shoulder and looked right into my eyes.
“Did you find the bad man, sir?” Lily whispered.
I forced a tight, reassuring smile. “Not yet, kiddo. But I’m about to.”
I walked into my private study, punched the biometric code into the heavy steel wall safe behind the mahogany shelving, and swung the door open.
Inside sat the flash drive containing the master encryption keys to my entire corporate infrastructure—the very keys Richard Sterling was trying to steal.
I reached out, my fingers brushing against the cold plastic casing of the drive.
Then, a sudden, sharp sound echoed from the outer hallway.
Clack.
The sound of a heavy deadbolt sliding into place from the outside.
My heart skipped a beat. I spun around and rushed to the study door, grabbing the brass handle and turning it hard.
It wouldn't budge.
The door was locked from the outside.
Through the polished glass panel of the study door, I saw a shadow moving across the floorboards of the penthouse living room.
Then, Diana’s voice drifted through the wood, completely devoid of tears, smooth and chillingly calm.
May you like
“I’m sorry, Marcus,” she called out softly. “Some debts can't be paid with fifty million dollars. Richard sends his regards.”
Before I could raise my fist to smash the glass panel, the smoke detector mounted on the ceiling of my private study clicked on, and a thick, sweet-smelling white vapor began hissing furiously from the ventilation vents, filling the room with a heavy, suffocating fog.
