Chapter 6 - The Charity Gala
Bullets tore through the wooden crates as Carter instantly returned fire.
"Run!" Carter screamed, providing covering fire as the mercenaries advanced.
Eleanor grabbed Maya's arm and pulled her toward a concealed trapdoor in the floorboards.
They dropped into a damp subterranean drainage pipe just as the floor above them was ripped to shreds by gunfire.
They waded through the dark, knee-deep water, the sounds of the shootout fading behind them.
Eleanor suddenly stumbled, clutching her side with a sharp gasp of pain.
Maya turned around and saw dark blood soaking through Eleanor's elegant trench coat.
"You are shot," Maya panicked, trying to support her mother's weight.
"It is just a graze, but I cannot make it to the tower like this," Eleanor breathed heavily.
They reached a street-level grate, and Maya pushed it open, dragging her mother into an empty alleyway.
"Take the key card, Maya," Eleanor urged, pressing the black plastic into her hand.
"You must infiltrate that gala alone and reach the server room before midnight."
Maya helped her mother into the emergency room of a nearby free clinic, promising to return.
She knew she could not walk into the Vance Tower wearing a ruined, blood-stained assistant uniform.
Maya broke into a high-end designer boutique three blocks away from the tower.
She stole a breathtaking crimson evening gown, washing her face in the store's sink and pinning up her hair.
She looked into the mirror and saw a powerful, undeniable heir looking back at her.
Maya walked into the Vance Tower lobby, blending perfectly with the ultra-wealthy guests arriving for the gala.
She slipped a glass of champagne from a waiter's tray and moved smoothly toward the restricted VIP elevators.
Using a stolen waiter's access badge, she bypassed the security checkpoint and rode the elevator to the sub-basement.
The heavy steel door of the master server vault stood at the end of a long, sterile corridor.
Maya approached the vault, her heart pounding with the anticipation of victory.
She pulled the black key card from the slit in her crimson dress.
Before she could insert it into the slot, the shadows in the corner of the hallway shifted.
May you like
Isabella stepped into the light, wearing a pristine white gown and holding a silenced pistol.
"You clean up remarkably well for a piece of furniture," Isabella sneered.
