Chapter 2 - The Boss Who Ordered the Doors Locked
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"Get the elevator cleared!"
Raphael's voice struck the penthouse corridor like a gunshot.
His security chief, Dominic Vale, appeared from the conference room with two guards behind him. He took one look at Nora on the floor and stopped.
"What happened?"
"Lock down the building."
Dominic reached for his radio.
Raphael lifted his head.
"Every entrance. Every exit. Nobody leaves until I say so."
"Understood."
"And call Dr. Mercer. Tell him I don't care where he is."
Raphael returned his attention to Nora.
Her skin was frighteningly pale. Blood had dried along her temple, and her breathing came in shallow, uneven pulls. Her right ankle had swollen against the leather of her boot.
He had seen people injured before.
He had caused injuries himself.
None of that prepared him for the sight of Nora Pell struggling to remain conscious after climbing forty-two floors to reach him.
"Stay with me," he ordered.
Her eyelids fluttered.
"Wasn't planning to go anywhere."
The answer was so weak that it barely resembled her usual dry voice.
Despite everything, Raphael almost smiled.
Almost.
Then she tried to move, and a sharp cry escaped her.
He immediately supported her shoulders.
"Don't move."
"The flash drive."
"I'll find it."
"No. You won't know what to look for."
"Then tell me."
She swallowed painfully.
"Inside my coat. Inner pocket."
Raphael found a small black drive tucked beneath the lining. He closed his fingers around it and passed it to Dominic.
"Put this in the private safe. Nobody accesses it without my authorization."
Dominic nodded.
Nora caught Raphael's sleeve.
"Not Dominic."
The security chief went very still.
Raphael looked down at her hand.
"Why?"
"Because..." She struggled to breathe. "I don't know who you can trust."
The words hung between them.
Dominic's face hardened.
"Boss, I've served you for twelve years."
"I know."
"She could be confused. She could have been threatened."
Raphael studied him.
"Did I ask for your opinion?"
Dominic lowered his eyes.
"No."
The elevator doors opened, and Dr. Adrian Mercer hurried into the corridor carrying a medical bag. He had treated Raphael's organization for years, always discreetly and without asking questions that could not safely be answered.
He knelt beside Nora.
"Miss Pell, can you hear me?"
"Unfortunately."
"Good. Sarcasm is a promising sign."
He checked her pupils, breathing, and pulse. His expression grew more serious with every examination.
"She needs a hospital. Now."
"Then take her," Raphael said.
"Her ankle may be fractured, and I suspect several broken ribs. With that head injury, we need imaging and neurological monitoring."
"Do whatever is necessary."
Mercer looked at Raphael.
"She may not survive the night without proper treatment."
Something cold moved through the room.
Raphael crouched beside Nora.
"You're going to survive this."
She managed to focus on him.
"You don't get to decide that."
"No," he said. "But I can make sure you get the chance."
The doctor and two paramedics transferred her onto a stretcher. Raphael walked beside them until they reached the elevator.
As the doors began closing, Nora's hand slipped from the blanket.
He caught it.
Her fingers were cold.
"Raphael?"
"I'm here."
"Don't let them erase it."
"Erase what?"
"The original records."
Her eyes closed.
The elevator descended.
Raphael remained staring at the empty space where she had been.
Dominic approached cautiously.
"We need to determine who attacked her."
"Yes."
"I'll start with the garage cameras."
"No."
Dominic stopped.
Raphael turned toward him.
"You will do nothing until I tell you what to do."
The security chief's expression tightened.
"Boss, with respect, if someone inside the organization is involved, we need to move quickly."
"We will."
Raphael slipped the flash drive into his inside pocket.
"But first, I'm going to find out why Nora told me not to trust you."
Dominic's face lost color.
May you like
For the first time in twelve years, the man who managed Raphael's security had no answer.
And Raphael noticed.
