Chapter 2 - The Proof of Innocence
Margot stared at the gun, her mind racing faster than it ever had in her entire life.
If she panicked, he would assume guilt, and men like Raphael Santoro did not leave loose ends.
"If I were a spy, Mr. Santoro, I would have copied those files, not meticulously alphabetized them," she reasoned, her voice shaking only slightly.
Raphael studied her face, looking for any micro-expression that would give away a lie.
He slowly lowered the weapon, but his grip remained tight around the handle.
"You have a very dangerous habit of using logic when you should be begging for your life," he observed.
"Begging rarely works with men who carry suppressed weapons," Margot replied, finding a strange courage in her desperation.
Raphael actually smirked, a brief flash of amusement that vanished as quickly as it appeared.
He holstered the gun and pulled out a secure, encrypted smartphone.
"Bring the rat down to the archive room," Raphael ordered into the phone.
Two minutes later, the heavy freight elevator doors rattled open.
Two massive men in dark suits dragged a bruised and bleeding man out onto the concrete floor.
The man was wearing a janitorial uniform, but Margot had never seen him in the building before.
"Look at her," Raphael commanded, grabbing the man by his hair and forcing his head up.
"Is this the inside contact you were supposed to meet?"
The spy looked at Margot with genuine confusion, blood dripping from his split lip.
"I have never seen this woman in my life," the man coughed, spitting blood onto the floor.
Raphael nodded once to his men, and they dragged the spy back into the elevator without another word.
"It seems you are telling the truth, Margot," Raphael said, turning back to her.
"You can leave now, and I strongly suggest you find a new place to sleep tomorrow."
Margot gathered her coat and her notebook, her hands trembling so badly she dropped a pen.
She walked toward the elevator, desperate to get away from the terrifying reality she had just witnessed.
But as she reached out to press the call button, she noticed something strange about the elevator's metal frame.
A small, blinking red light was attached to the inside of the door track.
"Mr. Santoro," Margot whispered, pointing a shaking finger at the device.
Raphael turned around and looked at the small piece of plastic and wire.
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"The spy wasn't here to steal the files," Margot realized in horror.
"He was here to plant a C4 explosive, and the timer is currently at thirty seconds."
