Chapter 4 - THE TRAP ON 47TH STREET
The address led to an abandoned theater on West 47th Street.
Rain hammered the sidewalk.
Rovan wanted to call federal agents.
Marcus stopped him.
“Vale has friends in Washington.”
“He cannot own every agency.”
“No. But we only need one bad agent to get Alina killed.”
They entered through the rear.
The theater smelled like wet wood and dust.
Alina moved first.
No lights.
No voices.
Then music began playing through the old speakers.
A children’s song.
Alina froze.
Her mother used to sing it.
Rovan whispered, “They’re playing with you.”
“I know.”
A spotlight suddenly hit the stage.
A chair sat at center stage.
A man was tied to it with a black hood over his head.
Alina’s heart slammed against her ribs.
“Leo!”
She ran.
Rovan grabbed her.
“Wait.”
The hooded man moved weakly.
“Alina?”
Her brother’s voice.
She broke free.
“Leo!”
Marcus saw the wire first.
“STOP!”
Alina froze three feet from the chair.
A thin cable ran from the chair leg beneath the stage.
Marcus followed it with his flashlight.
Explosives.
The hooded man began crying.
“I’m sorry.”
Alina stared.
That wasn’t Leo.
Rovan pulled the hood away.
A terrified young stranger looked up at them.
“They made me do it.”
“Who?”
A red laser appeared on his chest.
Alina tackled the chair.
A shot cracked.
The bullet missed his heart by inches.
Rovan fired toward the balcony.
Marcus dragged the prisoner behind a concrete wall.
Gunfire erupted from both sides of the theater.
Men poured through the aisles.
Alina returned fire.
Rovan shouted, “Stage door!”
They moved.
Marcus cut the prisoner loose.
“Can you walk?”
“Yes.”
“Then tonight is your lucky night.”
The young man stumbled after them.
Alina kicked open the backstage door.
Three armed men waited outside.
She slammed it shut.
“Other way!”
The prisoner grabbed her arm.
“There’s a tunnel under the stage.”
They followed him through a trapdoor.
Above them, footsteps thundered.
Marcus turned on his phone flashlight.
“Who are you?”
“Daniel.”
“Why did Vale take you?”
Daniel looked terrified.
“I worked for him.”
Alina stopped.
“Doing what?”
“Cybersecurity.”
Rovan turned.
“Keep moving.”
Daniel breathed hard.
“I found payments. Offshore accounts. Military transfers. Politicians.”
“Velkria?” Alina asked.
Daniel nodded.
“And something called Project Crownfall.”
Alina’s stomach tightened.
“What is that?”
“I don’t know.”
They reached the tunnel exit.
Daniel stopped.
“But I stole the files.”
Marcus stared.
“You have them?”
Daniel nodded.
“Not here.”
“Where?”
Daniel looked directly at Alina.
“Inside Richard Vale’s private server.”
Marcus rubbed his forehead.
“That’s not stealing. That’s knowing where the thing you want is.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I made a copy. The system automatically deletes it in forty-eight hours unless I enter a password.”
“Where do we enter the password?”
Daniel swallowed.
“Vale Tower.”
Alina gave a short laugh.
“Of course.”
Rovan’s phone vibrated.
A new message.
This time it contained a photograph.
Prince Leo was standing beside Alina’s uncle.
Alive.
Untied.
May you like
Wearing a military uniform.
And smiling.
