CHAPTER 9 — THE BOARDROOM HOSTAGE VOTE
Marcus Kane locked the boardroom doors seconds after Adrian left.
He took a small transmitter from his pocket.
“No phones,” he said.
One director laughed nervously.
“Marcus, this has gone far enough.”
Marcus pressed a button.
A blast shattered the windows of an empty executive office across the courtyard.
The directors dropped beneath the table.
Marcus calmly closed the blinds.
“The building has six additional charges,” he said. “You will approve the merger and transfer operational control to me.”
The board secretary stared at him.
“You’re threatening to kill us?”
“I’m asking for cooperation.”
Back at Harbor Storage, Adrian watched the boardroom camera feed on a federal agent’s tablet.
Marcus stood beside the conference screen.
“He’s using the building security system,” Adrian said.
Jonah, still weak, looked over his shoulder.
“The detonators may be tied to the same vehicle control architecture.”
“Can you shut them down?”
“Not remotely. Marcus will have a closed circuit.”
Milo wiped his eyes.
“The notebook.”
He opened it to a folded diagram near the center.
“Dad drew the old emergency network.”
Jonah stared at the page.
“I made that drawing before the tower was renovated.”
Milo pointed at a handwritten note.
“You said old systems never really disappear. They just get hidden.”
Adrian read the label.
MANUAL FIRE CONTROL — SUBLEVEL THREE.
Jonah nodded.
“If you trigger a total fire purge, it will flood the communications channels. Marcus’s transmitter may lose contact with the charges.”
“May?”
“It could also set them off.”
Adrian looked at the live feed.
Marcus had placed the transmitter on the table.
The countdown showed twelve minutes.
“I need another option.”
Jonah studied the diagram.
“There’s a maintenance shaft from the parking garage to the sublevel control room.”
Luis stood.
“I’ll go.”
Adrian shook his head.
“He knows every member of my staff. He won’t notice me.”
“You’re the only person he wants dead.”
“That’s why he’ll watch the doors, not the walls.”
Milo stepped forward.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“I know the diagram better than you.”
“Milo—”
“My mom died because of that notebook. My dad was taken because of it. I’m not hiding anymore.”
Jonah reached for his son’s hand.
“You’re nine years old.”
Milo looked at him.
“And I stopped his car.”
Adrian wanted to refuse.
But the boy was right.
They had less than eleven minutes.
Adrian turned to the federal agent.
“Get us to the tower.”
As they ran for the vehicles, Jonah called after them.
“There’s something you should know!”
Adrian stopped.
Jonah’s face was pale.
“The final control switch requires two people.”
May you like
“Why?”
“Because one person has to stay inside the sealed room when the purge begins.”
