Chapter 5 - Opening The Mysterious Black Case In Total Silence
Mrs. Gable hurried down the winding service stairs, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she clutched the black case to her chest.
She reached the bottom landing, pushing open a heavy fire door that led directly into the subterranean wine cellar.
The cellar was dark, cool, and filled with thousands of vintage wine bottles resting quietly in their dark wooden racks.
She rushed toward the far corner of the room, stopping in front of an old stone pillar bearing the family crest.
Pressing a sequence of three bricks inward, she unlocked a hidden wall safe built deep into the foundation of the estate.
She placed the small black case onto a wooden folding table, her trembling fingers punching a six-digit numerical code into the keypad.
The biometric scanner flashed green with a soft chime, releasing the heavy metal latches of the case with a mechanical click.
Mrs. Gable lifted the lid slowly, revealing rows of vintage magnetic data tapes and a sleek gold-plated flash drive inside.
"It's all here... exactly where he said it would be," she whispered to herself with a mixture of relief and sheer terror.
Before she could lift the gold flash drive from its foam insert, a cold voice echoed from the dark shadows behind her.
"Step away from the table, Mrs. Gable," Marcus commanded, his tactical flashlight beam locking directly onto her back.
The housekeeper froze instantly, her hands hovering inches above the open case as the heavy cellar air grew tense.
"Mr. Sterling... you shouldn't have followed me down here," Mrs. Gable said without turning around to face him.
"You've been working for Marcus Vance's old associates this entire time, haven't you?" Marcus demanded, stepping closer.
May you like
"I wasn't working for them by choice, Mr. Sterling... they have my family," the housekeeper cried out, her voice breaking.
***
Related Stories
