Chapter 13 - The Trap in the Alley
The security monitor flickered under the glare of the yellow security light. On the screen, a man in a heavy dark jacket could be seen walking stealthily toward the rear service door—the exact same door where Ren had stood freezing in her cheap shoes months ago.
Ren turned around, her expression calm, her eyes sharp.
"It’s Julian," she said, her voice dropping into a low, controlled register. "He didn't leave the city. He’s trying to break into the back office to recover the physical hard drives before the state marshals execute the final seizure tomorrow morning."
Callaway stood up from his chair, his broad frame filling out the dim space of the dining room. He didn't look panicked; he looked like a wolf that had just smelled a fox entering its territory.
He motioned with his hand toward the service hallway, signaling for Ren to stay back while he moved toward the heavy mahogany doors.
"No," Ren signed firmly, stepping directly into his path, her hands moving with unyielding authority. "This isn't just your building anymore, Ambrose. It’s mine too. We handle this together."
Callaway stared at her for a beat, his jaw tightening. Then, a slow, grim smile touched his lips. He nodded once.
They moved through the dark East Hall in absolute, synchronized silence. Ren knew every creaking floorboard, every blind angle of the old hotel structure. She led Callaway not through the main kitchen where the noise would echo, but through the narrow service stairwell behind the wine cellar, coming out directly behind the heavy metal back door.
The lock clicked softly as Callaway disengaged the interior latch.
With a sudden, powerful shove, the heavy steel door swung outward into the freezing Chicago alleyway.
May you like
Julian Vance stumbled forward into the doorway, a heavy metal crowbar slipping from his gloved hands and clattering loudly against the concrete floor. His face was twisted in a desperate, frantic grimace, his expensive suit jacket stained with wet slush and grease.
"You—!" Julian gasped, his eyes widening in horror as he looked up and found himself trapped between Ren Halloway and the towering, unyielding form of Ambrose Callaway.
