Chapter 6 - The Trap SpringsMina spun around, her flashlight beam cutting through the damp air to blind a towering security guard marching down the aisle with his hand resting on the heavy metal flashlight at his belt.
“I—I’m just dropping off the extra coffee for the loading crew!” Mina stammered, backing away against the cold metal wall of the container.
“There’s no loading crew here tonight, kid,” the guard growled, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the device in her hand. “And that’s not a coffee cup.”
He lunged forward, his massive hand reaching out to grab her wrist.
Mina didn’t hesitate. She kicked out with the heavy steel-toed boots she had borrowed from Toby, catching the guard squarely in the shin.
He roared in pain, stumbling back just enough for Mina to shove the heavy metal coffee cart directly into his path. The cart overturned with a catastrophic crash, spilling scalding coffee and aluminum foil across the concrete.
The guard tripped over the wreckage, hitting the floor hard.
Mina didn't look back. She sprinted down the dark aisle toward the side exit, her lungs burning, rain lashing against her face as she burst through the metal door into the stormy night.
A sleek black van was idling twenty feet from the exit, its side door slid open.
A familiar hand reached out, grabbing her jacket collar and hauling her inside as the van accelerated away into the dark Chicago streets.
Carmela sat in the back, calmly sipping espresso from a porcelain cup while two heavily armed men in tactical vests secured the sliding door.
“You look rushed, Mina,” Carmela remarked, handing her a clean white towel.
Mina collapsed onto the bench seat, gasping for air, her heart pounding against her ribs. “The seal... it didn't open. It locked down.”
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Carmela’s expression darkened, the amused sparkle vanishing from her eyes completely.
“I know,” Carmela said softly. “Because it wasn’t a shipping container for cargo. It was a holding cell.”
