Chapter 1 - The Man in the Lobby
The heavy wooden door of Laura’s office muffled the loud shouting coming from the lobby.
She stood perfectly still in front of Caleb.
The seven-year-old boy was trembling on the leather couch.
His small hands were gripping the edges of his blue jacket.
Outside the glass partition, a man with a thick black beard was slamming his hand on the teller counter.
Laura could hear him demanding to see his nephew immediately.
She knew Caleb did not have an uncle.
She slowly reached into her desk drawer and pressed the silent panic button connected to the local precinct.
She had already texted Detective Mike Harlan, but she needed to make sure every alarm was tripped.
"Is he going to break the door?" Caleb whispered.
Laura offered him a reassuring smile that she absolutely did not feel.
"This door is reinforced steel, sweetheart," she lied softly.
Through the blinds, she watched her senior teller, Sarah, stepping back from the aggressive man.
The security guard placed a hand on his holster, but the bearded man did not look intimidated at all.
He looked like a man who was used to giving orders to people with badges.
Suddenly, the front doors of the bank swung open with a violent crash.
Detective Mike Harlan walked in wearing a dark leather jacket and a hardened expression.
He did not wait for the security guard to intervene.
Mike grabbed the bearded man by the back of his collar and shoved him hard against the marble wall.
Laura let out a breath she had been holding for two minutes.
She unlocked her office door and stepped out just enough to hear the conversation.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't arrest you for disturbing the peace," Mike growled.
The bearded man sneered and adjusted his coat.
"I'm just looking for my runaway nephew, Harlan," the man replied.
Mike leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"If Richard Vincent wants the boy, he is going to have to go through me."
The bearded man locked eyes with Mike for a long moment before turning toward the exit.
He walked out of the bank without looking back.
Laura rushed into the lobby and pulled Mike into her office where Caleb was hiding.
"Thank God you got here," Laura said, locking the door behind them.
Mike looked down at Caleb, his face turning incredibly pale.
"Laura, we have a massive problem," Mike said quietly.
"That man isn't just a thug working for Richard Vincent."
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Mike pulled out his phone and showed Laura a picture from a police database.
"That man is Deputy Chief Thomas Vance, my direct commanding officer."
