Chapter 7 - The Desperate Plan
The massive logging truck rumbled loudly as it pulled into the gritty industrial outskirts of Chicago.
Gideon handed the nervous driver another thick stack of cash and quickly slipped out into the dark, snowy morning.
He carried Norah directly to a highly secure, heavily fortified underground bunker he owned beneath the city.
Marcus was already waiting there, looking incredibly exhausted but fiercely determined to fight.
"The police raided the penthouse an hour ago, boss," Marcus reported grimly, locking the heavy steel blast doors.
"Let them tear it apart, they won't find absolutely anything useful," Gideon stated coldly.
Gideon set Norah down gently on a plush cot, assuring her that Marcus would keep her completely safe.
"I have to go help your mama now, Norah," Gideon promised, kneeling to meet her cautious gaze.
Norah reached into her pocket and silently handed him the worn stuffed rabbit with the torn ear.
"It keeps the scary monsters away in the dark," she whispered bravely.
Gideon took the small toy, completely moved by the profound trust of the traumatized child.
"I will bring her back to you, I swear it on my life," Gideon vowed fiercely.
He turned to Marcus and outlined his incredibly reckless, highly dangerous infiltration plan.
Victor had moved Clara, Norah's comatose mother, to the penthouse medical suite of his newly purchased corporate clinic.
The building was practically an absolute fortress, guarded by elite mercenaries disguised as private hospital security.
Gideon dressed completely in dark tactical clothing provided by Marcus, loading a heavy, silenced pistol with practiced efficiency.
He bypassed the main corporate security grid by perfectly navigating the old city sewer lines that connected to the clinic's basement.
Gideon silently neutralized two heavily armed guards in the boiler room, quickly stealing one of their keycards.
He rode the sterile service elevator directly to the highly restricted top floor, his heart pounding like a war drum.
The private medical wing was eerily quiet, smelling strongly of strong antiseptic and fresh lilies.
Gideon moved like a deadly ghost down the pristine white hallway, checking the numbers on the VIP doors.
He finally reached room 402, the exact location Sarah's insider source had confirmed Clara was being held.
He slowly pushed the heavy oak door open, raising his silenced weapon into a perfect firing position.
The heart monitors in the room were beeping rhythmically, but the hospital bed was completely empty.
The sheets were violently torn back, and an IV line was dripping clear fluid uselessly onto the linoleum floor.
Suddenly, the heavy door violently slammed shut behind him, locking with a loud electronic click.
Gideon aggressively spun around, aiming his pistol directly at the dark corner of the room.
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Victor Vance stepped smoothly out of the shadows, looking completely calm and utterly victorious.
Victor raised a heavy, silver-plated revolver and pressed the cold barrel directly against Gideon's forehead.
