Chapter 1 - The Extraction
Adrian stepped through the fabric curtain before Audrey could form a reply.
He placed himself deliberately between his battered secretary and the two Chicago police officers.
The officers immediately stopped writing on their notepads and frowned at the tall intruder.
"Ms. Miller works directly for me," Adrian stated in a voice that sounded like crushed ice.
He did not raise his tone, but the sheer weight of his presence sucked the oxygen out of the small room.
The older cop squared his shoulders and rested a hand near his utility belt.
"And who exactly are you, sir?" the officer asked with a hard edge of suspicion.
"I am the CEO of Cross Logistics, and this interview is officially over," Adrian replied flatly.
He placed his hand gently on the edge of Audrey's hospital gurney.
"My corporate attorney will contact your precinct in the morning if my employee decides to press charges," he added.
The cops hesitated, exchanging an uncertain glance, but the overwhelming authority radiating from Adrian forced them to step back.
They muttered a quiet warning about leaving the city and eventually walked out of the emergency bay.
Adrian turned his full, undivided attention back to the battered woman sitting on the narrow hospital bed.
He carefully studied the brutal bruising on her face and the fresh, jagged stitches along her hairline.
"Can you walk safely?" Adrian asked in a low, even whisper.
Audrey nodded once and slowly slid her legs off the side of the padded medical table.
She winced in obvious physical pain but completely refused to make a single sound of complaint.
Adrian unbuttoned his heavy wool overcoat and draped it gently around her shaking shoulders to keep her warm.
They walked together through the sterile, brightly lit hospital corridors in total silence.
The cold Chicago night air hit them like a physical blow as they stepped through the automatic sliding glass doors.
Adrian guided her swiftly toward his dark Audi, which was still parked illegally in the emergency lane.
He opened the passenger door and helped her carefully slide into the luxurious leather seat.
As he leaned across the center console to buckle her seatbelt, his knuckles brushed against her torn leather purse.
A tiny, unnatural red light suddenly caught his extremely sharp peripheral vision.
He froze completely in the dark car.
He carefully reached his long fingers deep into the ripped lining of her ruined bag.
He pulled out a small, highly advanced magnetic GPS tracker that was silently blinking in his palm.
Adrian stared at the small electronic device with absolute, terrifying clarity.
They did not just beat his secretary to send a violent message.
They had intentionally let her live so she would unknowingly lead them directly to him.
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The deafening roar of a heavy engine suddenly echoed loudly from the far end of the hospital parking garage.
Two massive black SUVs with their headlights completely turned off were accelerating rapidly straight toward his car.
