Chapter 4 - The Midnight Break-In
By 1:00 AM, the rain was pouring over Seattle, blurring the city lights into a smear of neon.
I had convinced Dr. Reynolds, the night-shift pediatrician who knew my legal background from a previous pro-bono case, to place Noah under a strict "John Doe" medical hold, blocking any unauthorized visitors.
Leaving two trusted security guards at Noah's door, I drove frantically to the University of Washington campus.
The library was dark, but my old student access card—which I had kept on my keychain for sentimental reasons—still clicked green at the side entrance. I slipped through the quiet, musty stacks of the basement level, my heart hammering against my ribs.
I found the row of old metal lockers. Locker 114.
I reached beneath the rusted frame, pressing my thumb against the tiny, bent metal tab we had used to bypass the padlock back in our sophomore year. With a soft, metallic click, the door swung open.
Inside, covered in a thick layer of dust, was a small, blue velvet pencil case.
I opened it. Resting inside was a heavy, encrypted USB drive and a handwritten journal detailing every shipment, bribe, and offshore account tied to Blackwell Shipping. It was a digital death warrant for the most powerful family in the Pacific Northwest.
"Looking for this?" a voice rasped from the shadows.
I spun around.
May you like
Two of Marcus Blackwell’s hired security guards stepped out from the end of the aisle, their dark coats wet from the rain. One of them held a heavy, silenced pistol.
"Marcus knew you'd come here," the lead guard sneered, stepping forward. "Give us the drive, Ms. Warren. And maybe we'll let you see your friend one last time before she goes to sleep."
