Chapter 4 - Shadows in the Concrete
"Drop the briefcase, Mr. Miller," a familiar voice echoed through the dim garage.
I turned around slowly, holding the heavy iron tire iron in my right hand. Stepping out from behind a concrete pillar was the man from the dark SUV, accompanied by two heavy-set guards dressed in black tactical gear, carrying concealed weapons.
"You really should have stayed on your lawn," the man in the charcoal suit said, taking a step forward. "Evelyn was sloppy. She thought she could hide three years of clinical disposal in residential trash bags. But you... you're just an accountant who let his curiosity ruin his life."
"Who are you?" I demanded, backing toward the shadow of a large delivery van.
"My name is Dr. Harrison Vance," he replied smoothly. "Director of Asset Protection for Aegis Bio-Pharma. And that ledger you are holding represents twelve billion dollars in bio-defense contracts. Give it to me, and I might make your termination quick."
"Mark! Look out!" Sarah screamed from our car, laying her hand flat against the horn.
The deafening blast of the car horn echoed off the concrete walls like a gunshot, startling the two tactical guards for a split second.
I didn't hesitate. I threw the heavy tire iron with all my strength straight at Harrison Vance’s head. It caught him across the shoulder, sending him stumbling back against the pillar with a sharp cry of pain.
I lunged into the dark utility hallway, slamming the heavy iron fire door shut behind me and throwing the deadbolt into place just as a hail of suppressed gunfire shattered the glass panel in the door frame!
I sprinted down the narrow concrete steps, clutching the ledger to my chest. The staircase led deep beneath the city streets, connecting directly to the old municipal utility tunnels that ran underneath Oak Park.
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I pulled out my cell phone—no signal. Three hundred feet below ground, I was completely blind. But as I rounded the corner of the damp brick corridor, I saw a trail of blood drops leading toward a heavy steel security door equipped with an electronic keypad.
Slumped against the wall beneath the keypad was Evelyn, holding a blood-soaked cloth to her side.
