Chapter 9 - The Police and the Penthouse“Freeze! Police! Nobody move!”
The bright lights of the flashlights blinded us for a second. I raised my hands slowly, holding the black flash drive between my fingers, while Marcus and his guard groaned on the floor in matching states of unconsciousness.
Amanda rushed past the police officers, throwing her arms around Rachel first, then pulling me into a fierce hug.
“Are you okay? How did you get out of the basement?” I asked, staring at her in disbelief.
“I didn't!” Amanda gasped, crying and laughing at the same time. “When they dragged me down there, I managed to slip my hands out of the zip-ties because the guy who tied me up was an absolute idiot amateur! I found a fire alarm pull station, smashed it, and ran straight into the lobby security office!”
One of the police officers stepped forward, eyeing the unconscious men on the floor, the slashed mattresses, and the broken glass before fixing his gaze on me and the flash drive in my hand.
“Care to explain what’s going on here, sir?” the officer asked, resting his hand on his holster.
Rachel stepped up beside me, her posture completely composed, all traces of fear replaced by absolute, steel-clad authority. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her corporate identification badge, and handed it to the officer along with a printed federal subpoena document.
“Officer, my name is Rachel Lawson. I am a cooperating federal witness with the SEC and the Department of Justice,” Rachel said clearly. “The two men on the floor are operatives working for Marcus Vance, a corporate executive currently under federal investigation for multi-million-dollar embezzlement. This flash drive contains the decrypted financial evidence of his crimes.”
The police officer blinked, looking from Rachel’s badge down to the unconscious Marcus Vance, who was just starting to groan and rub his bruised jaw.
May you like
“Well,” the officer cleared his throat, adjusting his cap. “I suppose that explains the broken furniture. We’re going to need you all to come down to the precinct to file formal statements.”
As Marcus was hauled away in handcuffs by two local officers, the nightmare finally began to unravel into sweet, undeniable relief.
Related Stories
