Chapter 2 - The Keycard
I hit the cold concrete floor hard as the black van skidded to a halt.
Sarah did not even try to hide.
She sprinted desperately toward the stairwell, drawing the masked men away from my hiding spot.
Two of the men jumped out of the van and chased her into the dimly lit stairwell.
I covered my mouth with both hands to muffle my terrified breathing.
The third man stayed by the van, scanning the shadows with a heavy flashlight.
The beam of light swept mere inches past my face.
I pressed my back flat against the freezing pillar, silently praying he would not look down.
A loud, agonizing scream echoed from the stairwell, followed by a heavy thud.
The two men returned a moment later, dragging Sarah's limp body into the back of the van.
The van doors slammed shut, and the tires squealed as they sped out of the garage.
I was left completely alone in the echoing silence of the underground lot.
My entire body trembled uncontrollably as I processed the horrific kidnapping I had just witnessed.
I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out the electronic keycard Sarah had given me.
It was a solid black card with a small silver chip and a series of numbers printed on the back.
The numbers corresponded to a private storage locker at the central train station.
I knew I could not go to the police because Daniel was golf buddies with the city commissioner.
I ran to my car, locked the doors, and drove frantically toward the transit hub.
I navigated the crowded train station, keeping my head down to avoid the security cameras.
I found the private storage sector and swiped the black card against the electronic reader.
Locker number 402 clicked open with a soft, metallic hiss.
Inside sat a prepaid burner phone, a silver flash drive, and a loaded handgun.
The moment I picked up the burner phone, it immediately began to ring.
I answered it with a shaking hand, holding the cold plastic to my ear.
A distorted, mechanical voice spoke through the receiver.
The voice warned me that I was being framed for a fifty million dollar embezzlement scheme.
I realized then that the blonde woman was forging my signature on illegal banking documents.
May you like
The voice told me to look behind me.
I spun around just as a tall man in a trench coat raised a suppressed pistol directly at my chest.
