Chapter 5 - The Trap Springs Shut
Out in the rain-slicked alleyway behind the cathedral, Daniel and Clara sprinted toward a black luxury SUV. Their getaway driver was idling the engine, ready to speed them away to a private airfield.
"We did it!" Clara laughed hysterically, throwing the encrypted satellite phone into the front seat. "We actually pulled it off! The entire Montgomery fortune is ours!"
Daniel opened the door, a triumphant grin plastered across his face. "I told you, babe. Rich people are soft. They think money makes them invincible. They never see the punch coming."
They threw their bags into the back and hopped in. "Drive! Go, go, go!" Daniel yelled to the driver.
The SUV accelerated out of the alley, merging into the afternoon city traffic. Daniel popped open a bottle of expensive champagne from the vehicle's mini-bar and poured two glasses.
"To revenge," Daniel said, raising his glass. "And to forty million dollars."
"To forty million dollars," Clara toasted, clinking her glass against his.
Suddenly, the SUV’s dashboard screen flickered red. A harsh, rhythmic beep began to ring through the speakers.
"What is that?" Clara asked, her smile fading. "Hey, driver, what's wrong with the navigation?"
The driver didn't answer.
Daniel leaned forward and grabbed the driver's shoulder. "Hey! I asked you a question—"
Daniel stopped breathing.
The driver slowly turned around. It wasn't their hired getaway driver.
It was Victoria’s personal bodyguard, Marcus—a former Special Forces operative built like a brick wall.
"Afternoon, Mr. Croft," Marcus said with a cold grin. He pressed a button on the steering wheel, instantly locking all the doors and bulletproof windows with a heavy pneumatic click.
"What the hell is this?!" Daniel screamed, lunging for the door handle. It wouldn't budge. "Clara, use the remote! Wipe the keys!"
Clara frantically pulled out the remote control and jammed her thumb onto the red button.
Nothing happened.
Instead, the SUV’s central console screen lit up with a live video feed. Victoria’s face appeared on the screen. She was sitting in the back of Julian's federal command vehicle, sipping a cup of hot tea, looking completely composed.
"Looking for this, Clara?" Victoria said on the screen, holding up a small black device that looked identical to Clara's remote.
"How... how do you have that?!" Clara shrieked.
"When you 'tackled' me to the ground at the altar," Victoria smiled coldly, "you thought you were distracting the crowd. You didn't realize my dress was fitted with a short-range RFID cloning scanner. The moment your body made contact with mine, my dress copied every digital key, frequency, and signal on your person."
Daniel smashed his fist against the bulletproof glass. "Victoria! You crazy bitch! Let us out!"
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"Oh, Daniel," Victoria sighed, taking another sip of her tea. "You thought you were revenge-ing your family. You thought you were the predator. But you were just the bait."
Cliffhanger: The SUV wasn't heading to the airport—it was driving straight into a maximum-security black site!
