Chapter 4 - The Bait
Harper paced the length of the bedroom.
The door was unlocked, but the armed guard standing in the hallway made her captive status very clear.
She had to warn her sister.
Chloe lived alone in a ground-floor apartment in Brooklyn.
If Derek knew the FBI was closing in, he would eliminate all liabilities.
Harper rummaged through the drawers of the oak desk.
She found a sleek, silver laptop and flipped it open.
It required a password, but the network connection was visible.
She used the emergency bypass she had learned during corporate security training.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, attempting to send an encrypted email to Chloe.
The screen suddenly flashed red.
The laptop died.
The bedroom door clicked open.
Roman stood in the doorway, holding a small black device.
“You are very resourceful,” he said.
“But attempting to breach my network is a foolish mistake.”
“I just need to tell my sister to run,” Harper pleaded.
“Derek knows where she lives.”
Roman walked toward her and handed her a small burner phone.
“Look at the screen,” he ordered.
Harper took the phone.
It was playing a live security feed from a camera hidden in a brick wall.
She recognized the street instantly.
It was Chloe’s apartment building.
A dark sedan idled by the curb.
Derek stepped out of the passenger side, carrying a crowbar and a heavy duffel bag.
Harper let out a strangled sob.
“Please,” she begged, grabbing the sleeve of Roman’s shirt.
“Please, you have to stop him.”
“My men are already in position,” Roman said quietly.
“But this favors my negotiation.”
He looked down at her hand clutching his shirt.
“Are you going to drain the Vargas accounts for me, Harper?”
She stared at the screen as Derek approached her sister’s window.
“Yes,” she cried.
“I’ll do whatever you want.”
May you like
Roman pulled his phone from his pocket and pressed a single button.
“Take him alive,” Roman commanded into the receiver.
