Chapter 1 - The Leather Binder
I took the heavy leather binder from Julian's shaking hands.
The leather was cold and smelled faintly of expensive cigar smoke.
My heart pounded against my ribs as I flipped open the brass clasp.
I expected to see a forgotten business proposal or maybe stolen credit cards.
Instead, the first page held a high-resolution surveillance photograph of my manager, Julian.
He was handing a thick manila envelope to a man in a dark alley.
I flipped the page, feeling the blood drain from my face.
The next dozen pages were detailed dossiers on every single employee working at the restaurant.
They included our home addresses, bank account numbers, and social security details.
Julian was breathing heavily, his eyes darting toward the restaurant's front windows.
He whispered that those two customers were not just rich people looking for a free meal.
They were hunting for something specific inside this building.
I turned to the very last page of the thick binder.
A sharp gasp escaped my throat when I saw the final photograph.
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It was a picture of my little sister, Chloe, walking home from her high school yesterday afternoon.
Someone had drawn a thick red circle directly over her face in the photo.
