Chapter 3 - The Uninvited Guest
A massive figure stepped through the ruined elevator doors.
Evelyn gripped a heavy brass sculpture from the table, ready to swing.
The man wore a tactical gas mask and walked straight through the knockout gas without hesitation.
He grabbed Richard by the collar and dragged his unconscious body into the elevator.
Evelyn recognized the intricate tattoo on the man's wrist just before the doors closed.
It was the mark of the Volkov Syndicate, the most dangerous criminal organization in Chicago.
The steel shutters suddenly lifted, flooding the room with the dark night sky.
The gas cleared, leaving Evelyn entirely alone in the ruined penthouse.
She dropped the brass sculpture, her mind racing to understand what had just happened.
The Volkovs had not come to save Richard; they had come to collect a massive debt.
Her cell phone vibrated on the shattered glass table.
She answered it and heard a deep, heavily accented voice on the other end.
"Your husband stole forty million dollars from us, Evelyn."
"I have nothing to do with his illegal businesses," she replied firmly.
"That does not matter to me," the voice said coldly.
"He claims you hold the encryption keys to the offshore accounts."
Evelyn realized Richard had thrown her under the bus to save his own miserable life.
"If you want your money, you will have to deal with me directly," Evelyn challenged.
"I do not negotiate with wives," the mobster laughed cruelly.
"Look out your beautiful penthouse window, Evelyn."
She walked to the edge of the glass and looked down at the street sixty floors below.
A black van was parked near the entrance, and two men were dragging a struggling woman into the back.
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The streetlights illuminated the woman's face for just a fraction of a second.
It was Evelyn's estranged daughter, Maya.
