Chapter 39 - The Architect's Lair
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The elevator doors slid open with a soft, melodic chime.
I stepped into the penthouse, my suppressed pistol drawn and raised. The entire floor was a sprawling masterpiece of modern architecture, featuring floor-to-ceiling glass windows that offered a dizzying, panoramic view of the Miami skyline.
The room was dimly lit, the only illumination coming from a massive array of computer monitors glowing against the far wall.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to get up here, David," a voice echoed through the cavernous room.
I spun around, aiming my weapon at a high-backed leather chair facing the window. The chair slowly swiveled around.
Sitting there was Elias Thorne. He looked nothing like a ruthless crime lord. He was in his late sixties, with neatly trimmed silver hair, wearing a beige cashmere sweater and wire-rimmed glasses. He looked like a retired college professor, sipping a glass of scotch.
"You knew I was coming," I stated, keeping the gun leveled at his head.
"Of course I did," Thorne smiled pleasantly. "I let your wife steal that keycard. I needed you up here. The master ledger requires a dual-authorization biometric scan to initiate the liquidation transfer. My fingerprint... and the fingerprint of the man who built the original code."
My blood ran cold. "Irene's father."
"Exactly," Thorne chuckled. "But since he is dead, I needed his direct descendant. Irene's biometric data is the only key that can unlock the offshore vaults."
"Irene isn't here," I bluffed, my finger tightening on the trigger.
"Oh, David, you really should pay closer attention to your surroundings," Thorne sighed.
May you like
A heavy set of double doors burst open to my left. Two heavily armed mercenaries dragged Irene into the room, her hands bound behind her back with zip-ties, blood trickling from a cut above her eyebrow.
"Drop the gun, David," Thorne ordered coldly. "Or I blow her brains out right in front of you."
