Chapter 5 - THE BANK JOB
At 10:00 AM the following morning, the grand marble lobby of the First National Bank of Chicago was bustling with wealthy clients and security officers.
A sleek black limousine pulled up to the private VIP entrance.
The rear door opened.
Daniel Cross stepped out, wearing a charcoal three-piece suit, his gold pocket watch glinting in the morning sunlight.
Beside him stepped Maya. She wore an elegant emerald-green silk dress, a black wool coat draped over her shoulders, and sunglasses. Her hair was styled in an sophisticated French twist. She looked every bit the high-society heiress she had once been.
Two armed security guards at the vault entrance immediately straightened, bowing respectfully as Daniel approached.
"Mr. Cross," the bank manager, a plump man named Henderson, hurried forward with a nervous smile. "We weren't expecting you today, sir. Is everything satisfactory with your corporate accounts?"
"Everything is fine, Henderson," Daniel said smoothly, his voice carrying effortless authority. "My associate, Miss Vance, needs access to her late father's private vault box."
Henderson blinked, his face faltering slightly. "Miss Vance? Sir, her name is flagged on the high-risk federal watch list—"
Daniel stepped closer, placing a heavy, gloved hand on Henderson's shoulder.
"The federal warrant was issued based on fraudulent documentation submitted by Gregory Vance," Daniel said quietly, his voice dropping into a tone that chilled the manager's spine. "My legal team filed a motion of stay with the Chief District Judge thirty minutes ago. If you delay Miss Vance, Henderson, I will transfer thirty million dollars of Cross Syndicate capital out of your institution before noon."
Henderson swallowed hard, sweat breaking out on his forehead. "I... I see. Of course, Mr. Cross. Right this way."
They walked down a carpeted spiral staircase into the subterranean vault room—a fortress of reinforced steel, electronic keypads, and laser grids.
Henderson swiped his master keycard, and the heavy ten-ton vault door groaned open.
Inside, row upon row of gleaming bronze safe-deposit boxes lined the walls.
Maya walked down Row 14, her heart beating fast. She stopped at Box #409.
She pulled the brass key from her purse, inserted it into the dual-keyhole alongside Henderson's master key, and turned it.
Click.
The small door swung open.
Inside lay a heavy black metallic hard drive, wrapped in a plastic seal, beside a faded photograph of nine-year-old Maya laughing on her father's shoulders.
Maya's hands trembled as she reached out and picked up the hard drive, clutching it to her chest as if it were her father's hand.
"Got it," she whispered to Daniel.
Suddenly, the red emergency lights inside the vault began to flash violently.
A loud siren blared throughout the basement levels!
PERIMETER BREACH — VAULT LEVEL ISOLATION ACTIVATED.
The heavy steel vault door began to slide shut automatically!
"What's happening?!" Henderson shrieked, panicking. "Someone manually overridden the security protocol from the main server room!"
Daniel grabbed Maya's arm, shoving her through the narrowing gap of the vault door just before the steel plates slammed shut with a deafening thud, locking Henderson inside!
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Standing in the marble corridor outside the vault were six men in dark suits, pulling automatic weapons from beneath their jackets.
Standing in front of them, holding a master override tablet, was Victor Hale.
