Chapter 3 - The Men in the Shadows
Panic surged through my chest as I stared at the terrifying text message.
Mr. Vance looked over my shoulder and his face went completely pale.
"We cannot go back to the car," he said, quickly stuffing the ledger into his briefcase.
"There is a service elevator in the back hallway used by the armored truck guards."
We rushed out of the vault room, our footsteps echoing against the cold tile floors.
I kept looking over my shoulder, expecting my father or his loan sharks to step out from behind a corner.
We slipped into the service elevator and hit the button for the alleyway exit.
When the doors opened, the rain was pouring down in thick, blinding sheets.
We ran down the alley toward a busy street, hoping to lose ourselves in the downtown crowd.
Just as we reached the sidewalk, a black SUV aggressively pulled up onto the curb, blocking our path.
The back doors flew open and two massive men in dark raincoats stepped out.
"Get in the car, Maya," my father’s voice called out from the passenger seat.
"If you make a scene, my friends here will gladly make Mr. Vance disappear."
I looked at the lawyer, who was trembling but tightly gripping his briefcase.
"Run, Maya!" Mr. Vance yelled, shoving me hard away from the vehicle.
One of the large men lunged forward and grabbed Mr. Vance by the collar, throwing him against the brick wall.
The briefcase spilled open onto the wet pavement, scattering papers everywhere.
I screamed, but the loud thunderstorm drowned out my voice.
The second man grabbed my arm with a grip like a steel vise.
He dragged me toward the open door of the SUV, where my father was waiting with a cold smile.
"You thought you could outsmart me?" my father sneered.
"You are just a stupid little girl playing a grown-up game."
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He reached into his jacket and pulled out a heavy metal object, pointing it directly at me.
"Now tell me where the real ledger is, because the one in that briefcase is a fake."
