Chapter 17 - The Ambush
|
I abandoned my position and moved rapidly through the crowd, keeping my head down to avoid Thorne's line of sight.
"Mr. Thorne," Lily’s voice carried clearly over the ambient music. "Lily Vale, City Chronicle. I’d love a comment on the allegations that Obsidian Holdings is utilizing offshore accounts linked to the former Hale cartel."
Thorne’s smile vanished instantly. His eyes turned dead and cold. He looked at Lily not as a nuisance, but as a threat that needed immediate elimination.
"I think you have the wrong party, Miss Vale," Thorne said, his voice a low, threatening rumble. He nodded to two of his massive security guards. "Escort the reporter to the freight elevator. She’s leaving."
The guards moved in, grabbing Lily roughly by the arms. She tried to pull away, panic finally flashing in her eyes as they forced her toward the service corridor.
"Vincent, abort the diversion," I commanded into the earpiece. "I’m moving on the guards."
I slipped into the service corridor just as the heavy doors swung shut behind the guards and Lily. The hallway was empty, devoid of cameras.
One of the guards shoved Lily against the wall. "You’ve got a lot of nerve, little girl."
I didn't give them a chance to draw their weapons.
I stepped out of the shadows, grabbing the first guard by the back of his tactical vest and slamming him face-first into the concrete wall. He dropped instantly.
The second guard spun around, reaching for his sidearm. I closed the distance in a fraction of a second, sweeping his legs out from under him and delivering a precise, non-lethal strike to his carotid artery. He collapsed beside his partner.
Lily stood against the wall, breathing heavily, staring at the two unconscious men.
"Dad?" she gasped.
"I told you to stay home," I said, my tone a mixture of intense relief and furious anger. "What were you thinking?"
"I needed a direct quote for the legal defense of the article," she argued, straightening her dress. "I had to give him a chance to respond."
"You gave him a chance to make you disappear," I corrected her. "You need to leave. Now."
"Not without the ledger," Lily said stubbornly. "I saw Sterling head toward the executive offices during the commotion."
May you like
I sighed, realizing there was no stopping her when she set her mind to something.
"Stay exactly behind me," I ordered. "We get the ledger, and we get out."
