Chapter 6 - The Warehouse
The electric hum of the stun baton vibrated through the narrow alley.
I stood perfectly still, my hands resting loosely at my sides.
Jenkins took a step forward, his eyes darting to my silver ring.
"I really don't want to do this, Mr. Sterling," Jenkins muttered.
"Then walk away," I replied.
"I can't," he said, signaling the other three men to flank me.
"Mr. Vance pays for my daughter's medical treatments."
They charged at me simultaneously.
I ducked under the first swing and drove my elbow into the ribs of the man on my left.
He collapsed, gasping for air.
Jenkins swung the baton at my head, but I deflected his wrist and swept his legs out from under him.
The remaining two men hesitated, realizing I wasn't just a tech executive behind a desk.
Before they could attack, the screech of tires echoed down the alley.
A black armored van reversed violently into the narrow space, trapping us.
The side doors flew open, and six armed men in tactical gear poured out.
These weren't Chad's incompetent bodyguards.
These were professional operators.
Something hard struck the back of my head, and the alley faded into absolute darkness.
I woke up tied to a steel chair in the middle of a massive, echoing warehouse.
My white shirt was stained with blood and dirt.
The smell of rust and seawater told me we were somewhere near the docks.
A bright spotlight clicked on, blinding me temporarily.
"Julian Sterling, the untouchable ghost," Marcus Vance's voice boomed from the shadows.
He stepped into the light, wearing a tailored suit and a smug smile.
"You should have taken the deal, Julian."
"Where is Hector, the street sweeper?" I demanded, testing the strength of the zip ties on my wrists.
Vance laughed.
"He's taking a very long vacation in the trunk of a car."
"And you will be joining him unless you sign this contract right now."
Vance held up a glowing tablet displaying a transfer of all my TechNova shares.
"You have five minutes to sign, or my men will start breaking your fingers one by one."
I looked Vance dead in the eye and smiled.
"You forgot to check my watch, Marcus."
May you like
I flexed my wrist, pressing a hidden button on the clasp of my diver's watch.
The entire warehouse plunged into pitch-black darkness.
