Chapter 5 - The Deal In The Subterranean Garage
Julian gripped the heavy iron tire iron tighter, his knuckles turning stark white as he stared at Victoria across the concrete floor of the subterranean garage. The hum of the ventilation system overhead was the only sound cutting through the thick, tense air.
"You," Julian said through gritted teeth, stepping closer to the edge of the motorcycle’s headlight beam. "You orchestrated the entire scene upstairs. You smashed my daughter's cake, you terrorized a room full of people, and now you show up here playing games? Talk, Victoria. Right now, or I swear I'll make sure you never walk out of this garage."
Victoria didn't flinch. She took a slow, deliberate drag of her cigarette, letting the glowing orange tip flare in the dim light before exhaling a thin stream of smoke toward the ceiling. She tossed the cigarette onto the concrete and crushed it beneath the heel of her riding boot.
"You always were too quick to swing a hammer, Julian, and too slow to read the blueprints," Victoria said, her voice dripping with calculated composure. "I didn't send those coordinates to your phone. And I certainly didn't leak Chicago. But someone did. Someone who wants you stripped of everything—your money, your status, and most importantly, your precious daughter."
Julian stopped three feet away from her, his eyes narrowing. "Why should I believe a single word coming out of your mouth? You walked into my house, humiliated my five-year-old child, and smiled while she cried."
"I gave her a warning, Julian," Victoria snapped back, her eyes suddenly flashing with genuine anger that cut through her arrogant facade. "Do you have any idea what kind of monsters are circling your family right now? The people who sent that message to your phone aren't business rivals. They are the ghosts of the past you thought you burned to ashes in Chicago. They don't want your money. They want retribution."
Julian’s grip on the tire iron slackened slightly. The absolute conviction in her voice rattled him more than any threat. "Who are they?"
Before Victoria could answer, the overhead lights in the garage flickered violently and then died completely, plunging the space into absolute blackness. A heavy, mechanical clanking echoed from the main entrance as the heavy steel security doors began to lower, sealing them inside.
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From the darkness near the far corner of the garage, a red laser sight clicked on, cutting through the dust particles in the air and painting a sharp, crimson dot directly onto the center of Victoria's chest.
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