Chapter 4 - The Elevator Shaft
The footsteps in the hallway grew louder.
Dante grabbed Emily by the arm and pulled her toward the private executive elevator.
He swiped his biometric thumbprint across the hidden scanner panel.
The silver doors slid silently open.
They dove inside just as three mercenaries burst into the reception area with assault rifles.
Dante hit the button for the underground parking garage.
Bullets sparked against the closing metal doors, leaving deep dents in the steel.
The elevator lurched downward, picking up speed.
Emily leaned against the wall and tried to catch her breath.
She looked at Dante, who was staring blankly at the floor.
"Clara is alive," Dante muttered, seemingly completely broken by the revelation.
"We need to focus on staying alive right now," Emily told him firmly.
"She faked her death and let me mourn her for a decade," he whispered.
"She is attacking my brother to get to you," Emily snapped.
"I need you to be the terrifying mafia boss again, Dante, or my brother is going to die."
Dante slowly lifted his head.
The cold, ruthless fire finally returned to his eyes.
"You are right," Dante said, tightening his grip on his pistol.
"I will tear the city apart to find her."
The elevator suddenly stopped with a violent jerk.
The emergency lights flickered on, casting a dim red glow over them.
They were stuck between the twentieth and nineteenth floors.
"They hacked the building's mainframe," Dante growled, hitting the control panel.
A voice crackled over the elevator intercom.
"It is good to hear your voice again, Dante."
Emily felt a chill run down her spine.
The voice was elegant, feminine, and dripping with pure poison.
It was Clara.
"Why are you doing this, Clara?" Dante demanded, his voice shaking with rage.
"You built an empire, my love," Clara replied over the speaker.
"I simply decided I wanted to rule it without you."
"Give the phone to your lovely new secretary."
Emily hesitated, then stepped closer to the intercom.
"I am here," Emily said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Your brother Leo is a very handsome boy," Clara purred.
"My sniper has a clear shot of his room right now."
"Slide the flash drive containing the master ledger through the gap in the elevator doors."
"My men are waiting in the shaft below you."
"If you do not hand it over in one minute, I will order the sniper to fire."
Emily reached into her pocket and pulled out the black flash drive.
Dante grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"If you give her that ledger, she will kill us all anyway," Dante warned.
"I have no choice," Emily cried, tears finally spilling from her eyes.
She looked up at the escape hatch in the ceiling of the elevator.
"Lift me up," Emily said, wiping her tears away.
"What are you doing?" Dante asked.
"I am going to drop the drive, but not to them," Emily replied.
Dante laced his fingers together and boosted her up to the roof hatch.
She pushed it open and climbed on top of the elevator car.
May you like
Two mercenaries were climbing up the cables from the floor below.
Emily threw the heavy staple gun directly at the closest mercenary's face.
