Chapter 8 - Into the Darkness
Warehouse 4 was a vast, echoing cavern constructed of corrugated sheet metal and steel I-beams. Stacks of wooden pallets and industrial crates created a maze of narrow alleyways on the concrete floor.
At the center of the floor, illuminated by a single overhead floodlight, sat Jenna. She was tied securely to a heavy metal folding chair, her head hanging low, her breathing labored.
Standing ten feet away from her was a man in a tailored charcoal wool coat, holding an umbrella over his head despite being indoors—Victor Vance. Standing beside him were three armed security guards carrying submachine guns.
My boots echoed loudly against the concrete floor as I walked out of the shadows, stopping twenty feet from the circle of light.
Vance turned slowly, a cold, aristocratic smile spreading across his face. "Ah. The hero of the hour. Damian Vance—no relation, I assure you. You’ve caused quite a bit of disruption to my logistics schedule tonight."
"Let her go, Vance," I said, my voice echoing off the high metal ceiling. "You have what you wanted. I have the drive right here."
I pulled the decoy USB drive from my pocket, holding it up between my thumb and index finger so it caught the floodlight's glow.
Vance held out his gloved hand. "Bring it to me."
"Uncut her ropes first," I demanded, taking one slow step forward. "She walks out that door, and the drive is yours."
Vance chuckled dryly. "You seem to think you are in a position to negotiate, Mr. Vance. You brought a child’s story to a billion-dollar enterprise. Did you really think you were going to walk out of this facility alive tonight?"
"No," I replied smoothly, looking up at my watch. "But I brought something else."
"And what’s that?" Vance sneered.
"A timer."
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At precisely 11:45 PM, a sudden, deafening CRACK echoed across the rail yard outside as Marcus detonated a localized EMP charge on the main power transformer.
The massive floodlight above Vance’s head burst in a shower of orange sparks. The entire warehouse was instantly plunged into pitch, absolute darkness.
