Chapter 4 - The Power Cut
The Night Someone Came for the Drive
Darkness swallowed the room.
I froze.
For three seconds, there was only silence.
Then I heard footsteps in the hallway.
Not outside.
Inside the building.
Someone was coming up the stairs.
I grabbed my phone.
No signal.
The emergency lights flickered once.
Then died.
I moved toward the kitchen.
My apartment had two exits.
Front door.
Balcony.
The footsteps stopped outside my apartment.
I heard a key slide into the lock.
I backed away.
The handle turned.
I moved.
I grabbed the heavy iron skillet from the counter.
The lock clicked.
The door opened.
A figure stepped inside.
“Give me the drive.”
I swung.
The skillet struck his forearm.
He cursed.
I ran.
I pushed past him, reached the balcony, and climbed over the railing onto the narrow maintenance ledge.
“Damn it!”
He lunged for me.
I pulled the balcony door shut.
Then ran.
The ledge wrapped around the building toward the emergency stairs.
My bare feet hit freezing concrete.
Behind me, the man slammed against the glass.
“Stop!”
I kept running.
I reached the stairs.
Then slipped.
My hand caught the railing.
The man appeared above me.
I looked up.
His face was partially covered.
But I recognized his voice.
Tyler.
“You're making this worse.”
“You sent someone into my apartment?”
“I came to retrieve something.”
“You tried to break in.”
“You don't understand what that drive contains.”
“Then explain.”
He paused.
That hesitation told me everything.
“You’re afraid of it.”
He stared at me.
“Yes.”
He came down one step.
“So am I.”
“Then tell me what's on it.”
“It will destroy your family.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You're late.”
Something crashed behind him.
Tyler turned.
Another man emerged from the stairwell.
Tyler cursed.
“Run!”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“Run, Morgan!”
The second man raised something in his hand.
A metal pipe.
Tyler shoved him.
They crashed into the railing.
I ran down the stairs.
When I reached the lobby, the front doors were locked.
I spun around.
The security desk was empty.
Then a car horn sounded outside.
A black sedan pulled to the curb.
The passenger door opened.
Jenna stepped out.
“Get in!”
I didn't hesitate.
I ran.
The sedan peeled away from the curb.
Jenna locked the doors.
“What happened?”
“Someone broke into my apartment.”
“Who?”
“Tyler.”
She stared at me.
“Tyler did that?”
“Not alone.”
I pulled the USB drive from my coat.
Jenna looked at it.
“What is that?”
“Something that can destroy my family.”
She glanced at me.
“And possibly save Falcon Ridge.”
I looked at her.
“What do you mean?”
“Your grandfather's trust controls more than your family.”
She swallowed.
“Ms. Hayes, I found something while pulling the old corporate records.”
“What?”
“Hayes Legacy Holdings owns twelve percent of Falcon Ridge.”
I stared.
“What?”
“And there’s more.”
She turned onto the highway.
“Your grandfather transferred the shares into a blind structure.”
“Why?”
“Because he expected someone to try to take them.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
My phone finally regained signal.
It exploded with messages.
Mother.
Father.
Claire.
Tyler.
I ignored all of them.
Then one email appeared.
From Falcon Ridge's board chairman.
Subject: Emergency Board Session.
I opened it.
Morgan,
We have identified an irregularity in the Sterling Heights acquisition.
Please report to the boardroom at 6:00 a.m.
Do not discuss this with anyone.
My stomach tightened.
Jenna saw my expression.
“What?”
“Someone knows about Sterling Heights.”
“That sounds bad.”
“It is.”
I opened the USB again.
One final file had appeared that I had not noticed before.
LOCKED.
I clicked it.
Password required.
I tried my birthdate.
Wrong.
My grandfather's birthday.
Wrong.
My mother's maiden name.
Wrong.
Then I remembered his letter.
I left you choice.
I entered the only word that meant something to both of us.
Choice.
Access granted.
A video opened.
My grandfather appeared on screen.
He looked directly into the camera.
“Hello, Morgan.”
I stopped breathing.
“If you're watching this, I am dead.”
His expression was calm.
“Your father will tell you I was sick. He will tell you I lost my judgment. He will tell you I made mistakes.”
He shook his head.
“I was not sick.”
My fingers tightened around the laptop.
“I was investigating a fraud committed by people I loved.”
Then he looked directly into the camera.
“Your mother signed the first fraudulent transfer.”
My blood ran cold.
“She did it because your father threatened to expose what she had done.”
I felt sick.
Then he said the sentence that shattered everything.
“But your father didn't start the fraud.”
He leaned closer.
“The man who started it is still alive.”
May you like
A pause.
“And he is sitting on Falcon Ridge's board.”
