Chapter 21 - Desperate Measures
The elevator ride felt like an eternity, the digital counter ticking upward with agonizing slowness. 20... 25... 30...
"When the doors open, we split up," Elara instructed, her voice devoid of panic, replaced by cold tactical logic. "You head to the security sub-station and try to access the internal cameras. Find exactly where Leo is hiding. I'll take the main corridors and draw their attention."
"You can't fight a dozen armed men with a stick, Elara," Julian argued, his face pale. "They are authorized to use lethal force."
"I don't have to fight them all," Elara replied, her eyes locked on the floor indicator. "I just have to create enough chaos to keep them distracted from a seven-year-old boy."
Ding. Floor 40.
The doors slid open, revealing a luxurious, dimly lit corridor lined with modern art and plush carpeting. It was entirely silent, save for the distant sound of blaring walkie-talkies.
Julian nodded, slipping out and moving swiftly toward the utility access door to the left. Elara stepped to the right, creeping down the main hall. The opulence of the penthouse level was nauseating; it was funded entirely by blood money and broken lives.
"Sector four is clear," a voice echoed from around the corner. "He couldn't have gotten far. Check the guest suites."
Elara flattened herself against the wall, gripping her baton tightly. A solitary guard rounded the corner, his rifle lowered but his eyes scanning the shadows.
Elara didn't wait. She lunged forward, swinging the baton with brutal efficiency. It struck the guard squarely behind the knee, buckling his leg instantly. As he fell forward with a shout of surprise, she brought the heavy steel handle down hard on the back of his neck. He crumpled to the floor, completely unconscious.
She quickly dragged his heavy body into a nearby janitor's closet, snatching his radio and his taser.
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Crack. The radio hissed loudly. "Control to all units. We have a massive network failure. The press is calling the main lobby. Some kind of data leak. Secure the perimeter, ignore the phones! Find the boy immediately!"
Victoria's empire was already burning in the public eye. Now, Elara just had to pull her son from the ashes.
