Chapter 5 - Sanctuary at the Library
They didn't stop running until they reached the steps of the Detroit Public Library branch on Woodward Avenue.
The massive stone building towered above them, its grand columns standing like silent sentinels against the gray morning sky. Tourists and commuters hurried past on the sidewalk, rushing toward offices and coffee shops, completely unaware of the desperate chase that had just unfolded three blocks away.
Alexander leaned against one of the massive stone pillars, chest heaving, his hands braced on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. His ruined suit was torn at the shoulder, and his face was smeared with fresh dirt and sweat.
Emma sat down on the bottom step, adjusting her oversized raincoat, her breath coming in short, excited gasps.
“That... that was amazing,” Emma whispered, her eyes wide with a mixture of terror and awe. “You hit that guy like a movie star!”
Alexander straightened up, looking down at his bruised knuckles. A wry, exhausted smile touched his lips. “I don't think I’ve thrown a punch since college, Emma. Remind me never to do it again in a custom Italian suit.”
“You’re bleeding,” Emma noted, pointing at the gash on his forehead where the skin had split open again during the scuffle.
“It’s nothing,” Alexander said, wiping the blood away with the back of his sleeve. He looked down at the little girl, his expression turning intensely serious. “Listen to me, Emma. Those men aren't going to stop looking for us. Marcus Sterling wants control of my company, and to do that, he needs me dead or permanently missing.”
“Why?” Emma asked, tilting her head.
“Because I blocked a hostile takeover that would have sold off our assets and fired thousands of people,” Alexander explained, his voice hard as iron. “Marcus partnered with our biggest competitor to push me out. But as long as I’m alive—and more importantly, as long as I have the legal leverage locked in my private corporate vault—they can't touch my shares.”
“So what do we do?” Emma asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. “We can’t go back to the loading dock.”
“No, we can’t,” Alexander agreed, looking up at the heavy oak doors of the library as they opened to let a librarian wheel out a cart of books. “And we can’t go to the police yet, either. Marcus has deep pockets; he’s bought officials in this city before. We need a secure line, a safe place, and a way to reach someone we can actually trust.”
Alexander reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his gold-plated business card holder. He flipped it open, scanning the embossed cards, before finding a smaller, handwritten card tucked behind the back lining.
Arthur Sterling (No relation to Marcus). Senior Partner, Vance & Sterling Corporate Law. Private Mobile: [Confidential]
“Arthur,” Alexander whispered, relief washing over him. “Arthur is my general counsel. He’s the only man on the board who never trusted Marcus.”
“Can we call him?” Emma asked.
“We need a phone,” Alexander said, looking down at his empty hands. “And mine is at the bottom of the East Detroit river, courtesy of the rain and my lovely swim in the mud.”
May you like
Emma smiled slyly, reaching into the deep front pocket of her yellow raincoat. She pulled out a battered, pink plastic prepaid flip phone with a cracked screen.
“My dad left it behind last week when he took off,” she said proudly. “It has ten minutes left on the card. Use it wisely, Mr. CEO.”
