Chapter 4 - The Safehouse Trap
Andrew stared at the man he had trusted for over a decade.
He realized in that agonizing second that Vance was the architect of his entire living nightmare.
Vance had access to the company funds, the shell corporations, and the power to authorize a remote wipe.
Andrew slowly moved his right hand toward the duffel bag resting on the floor.
He told Vance in a calm, deadly voice to turn around and walk back into the elevator.
Vance laughed, a dry, humorless sound that sent a chill down Andrew's spine.
He reminded Andrew that the building was currently surrounded by a dozen armed men who answered only to him.
Vance took another step forward, his eyes locking onto Ethan hiding behind Andrew's legs.
He warned Andrew that the boy was heavily contaminated property and needed to be returned to the laboratory.
Andrew did not waste another word on negotiations.
He grabbed the heavy brass lamp from the console table and hurled it directly at the security control panel on the wall.
The panel shattered in a shower of sparks, plunging the entire penthouse into absolute darkness.
Vance shouted a harsh curse as he blindly reached for a weapon hidden inside his jacket.
Andrew grabbed Ethan's hand and pulled him frantically toward the kitchen corridor.
He knew every inch of this penthouse, having designed the architectural blueprints himself.
He pushed a specific panel on the pantry wall, revealing a narrow, hidden maintenance shaft.
Andrew shoved Ethan inside, tossed the duffel bag after him, and squeezed into the tight darkness just as Vance fired a shot into the kitchen.
The bullet shattered a glass cabinet, but Andrew was already pulling the secret door shut.
They climbed down the cold metal ladder in total silence, descending three floors into the building's utility level.
They navigated the maze of heating ducts and exited through a forgotten service door into the rainy alleyway.
Andrew stole an idling delivery van from the loading dock, shoving Ethan onto the passenger floorboard to stay hidden.
He drove recklessly through the slick streets, avoiding the main avenues where Vance's men would be searching.
He headed toward a secure, off-the-books safehouse he maintained in the industrial district.
It was an old warehouse he had purchased years ago under a fake name for storing classic cars.
Andrew pulled the van into the dark garage, feeling a momentary wave of relief as the heavy doors closed behind them.
He helped Ethan out of the van and walked toward the small, furnished office in the back.
Andrew reached for the wall switch to turn on the overhead lights.
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The fluorescent bulbs flickered to life, illuminating the dusty room.
Sitting calmly in the leather desk chair was a woman holding a suppressed pistol aimed directly at Andrew's chest.
