Chapter 6 - The Mayor's Justice
Nadia was shoved into the back of a black transport van with her hands bound tightly in plastic zip ties.
She watched helplessly as the van sped through the neon-lit streets toward the wealthy heart of the city.
The corruption ran so deep that even the SWAT teams were acting as personal mercenaries for the Mayor.
She tried to loosen the plastic restraints around her wrists, but they only cut deeper into her skin.
The van finally descended into an underground parking garage beneath a towering luxury hotel.
She was dragged out of the vehicle and forced into a private service elevator by two silent guards.
The elevator doors opened into a lavish penthouse suite overlooking the glittering, dark skyline.
Mayor Sterling sat behind a massive mahogany desk, casually sipping a glass of expensive bourbon.
Borel stood faithfully by his side, looking like a proud hunting dog returning with its prey.
"You have caused me a great deal of trouble today, Nadia," the Mayor said, swishing the amber liquid in his glass.
"The entire city is going to see those videos eventually, Sterling," she spat back defiantly.
The Mayor chuckled, opening a sleek laptop on his desk and turning the screen toward her.
It displayed Leo's upload screen, completely frozen and marked with a massive red error message.
"Your brother was very close, but my cyber team shut down the city's grid before it could finish," the Mayor gloated.
Nadia felt a cold knot form in her stomach as she realized her only leverage was completely gone.
"Where is my brother?" she demanded, struggling against the tight grip of her armed guards.
"Leo is currently being interrogated by some very persuasive men in my basement," the Mayor replied coldly.
He stood up and walked over to her, his eyes devoid of any human empathy.
"If you tell me where the physical notebook is hidden, I might let him live," he offered smoothly.
Nadia knew that giving up the notebook meant they would both be executed immediately anyway.
"I will never tell you anything," she whispered fiercely.
Borel raised his hand and struck her hard across the face, sending her crashing to the carpeted floor.
Nadia tasted blood in her mouth, but a small, hidden razor blade she kept in her shoe had finally slipped into her fingers.
She quickly sliced through the zip ties while Borel turned his back to pour himself a drink.
She sprang to her feet, grabbing a heavy bronze statue from a nearby display pedestal.
Before anyone could react, she smashed the statue against the reinforced glass window, triggering the building's security alarms.
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The Mayor panicked, pulling a small pistol from his desk drawer in a rush.
"Shoot her before she jumps!" the Mayor screamed at Borel.
