MASKED ALLEGIANCE

chapter 13:

The sudden darkness swallowed the underground parking garage in a heartbeat. The buzzing fluorescent lights died completely, leaving behind an oppressive, heavy blackness where vision was entirely useless.

Victor did not panic. He lowered his center of gravity, planting his feet firmly against the concrete floor as his ears strained to catch the slightest sound in the gloom.

Footsteps echoed from all directions, heavy boots slapping against the damp ground, closing in fast. They were moving with professional coordination, boxing him in from the front and both flanks.

Left, right, and center, the mysterious woman voice cut through the dark, sounding entirely too calm for someone caught in an ambush. They want the access codes to your father accounts, Victor. And they are not planning on taking prisoners this time.

Victor did not reply. He relied purely on instinct as a heavy rush of wind signaled an attack coming straight toward his back.

He spun around in a sharp pivot, ducking beneath a wild, heavy punch. His hand lashed out in the dark, his knuckles connecting solidly with an attacker jaw. A sharp gasp echoed through the garage, followed by the heavy thud of a body crashing hard against a parked car.

Before he could recover his stance, a bright beam of tactical light flashed on from across the garage, temporarily blinding him.

Three men in full black tactical gear stood twenty feet away, their assault rifles raised and aimed directly at his chest. The red laser sights painted tiny crimson dots across his suit jacket.

Do not move, the lead gunman ordered, his voice harsh and mechanical through a voice modulator. Hands behind your head right now.

Victor stood frozen under the glare of the flashlight. He looked at the three armed men, then glanced sideways to where the mysterious woman had been standing just a second ago.

She was already gone. Vanished completely into the shadows without a single sound.

Slowly, Victor raised his hands, keeping his fingers open and visible. His mind raced at lightning speed, calculating every possible escape route in the pitch-black garage.

Smart choice, the lead gunman sneered, stepping closer with his rifle still locked on Victor heart. Now, you are going to walk with us to the elevator. The new board wants a quiet word with you before the markets open.

The guards grabbed Victor by both arms, shoving him forward toward the private elevator bank. They pushed him inside the small metal compartment, pressing the button for the underground sub-level beneath the main basement.

The elevator doors slid shut with a heavy, metallic clang, sealing him inside a moving steel box with three armed killers.

As the digital floor numbers ticked upward toward a level that did not exist on any corporate blueprint, Victor felt a cold, dangerous smile form across his lips.

They thought they had captured him. They had no idea they had just walked him straight into the core of their own trap.