Chapter 8 - The Heist
The black van idled safely in a dark alleyway just three blocks from the Manhattan central bank.
The morning sun was just beginning to rise, casting long, gray shadows over the waking city.
Logan handed me a sleek, forged identification card and a sophisticated earpiece.
"Your name is now Sarah Jenkins," Logan instructed, his tone purely professional and cold.
"You have a confirmed appointment to access box number 814."
My hands were shaking violently as I stared at the remarkably realistic fake ID.
"I am a nurse, Logan, not a professional bank robber," I protested.
"If I get caught doing this, they will send me to federal prison for decades."
Logan turned around in the driver's seat and looked deeply into my terrified eyes.
"Sophia has less than forty-eight hours before the toxin reaches her heart and kills her."
"You are the only person who hasn't been flagged by my enemies yet."
I looked down at the sleeping little girl beside me, her skin looking almost translucent in the dim light.
I took a deep breath and nodded, accepting the earpiece without another word.
I stepped out of the van and walked quickly through the bustling morning streets.
My heart pounded aggressively against my ribs as I approached the massive marble columns of the bank.
I walked inside, presenting my fake ID to the stern-faced teller behind the glass.
She scanned the card, and for a terrifying second, the computer screen flashed a bright red warning.
Then, the light turned green, and she offered a polite, practiced smile.
"Right this way, Ms. Jenkins."
A large security guard escorted me down into the heavy steel vault underground.
He unlocked the massive door and pointed me toward a gleaming wall of metal boxes.
I found box 814, inserting the specific key David had surrendered to us earlier.
I pulled the heavy metal drawer out and carefully opened the lid.
Inside was a small, silver vial containing a strange, glowing blue liquid.
"I have it," I whispered softly into the earpiece.
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"Get out of there now," Logan's voice crackled frantically in my ear.
"A heavily armed strike team just walked into the lobby."
