Chapter 9 - The Hangar at Midnight
Rain slammed against the reinforced glass windows of Hangar 4 at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Outside on the wet tarmac sat a sleek, dark blue Gulfstream jet, its engines idling with a deep, vibrating hum.
Inside the passenger cabin, sixty-two-year-old Evelyn Vance sat in a plush leather seat, sipping champagne from a crystal glass.
A thick leather briefcase sat on the marble table beside her, containing four encrypted cold-storage crypto wallets.
"We are cleared for departure to Zurich in five minutes, Mrs. Vance," the flight captain announced over the intercom.
Evelyn smiled, looking out at the rainy runway as she lifted her glass in a silent toast to her own brilliant success.
"Goodbye, Daniel Miller," she whispered softly to herself. "Thank you for funding my retirement."
Suddenly, the bright lights inside the jet cabin flickered twice and died completely, plunging the aircraft into darkness.
The roaring hum of the jet engines stuttered, choked, and shut down with a slow, descending whine.
"What is going on up there?" Evelyn yelled, unbuckling her seatbelt in a sudden surge of anxiety. "Captain!"
The heavy hydraulic cabin door hissed loudly and swung open, letting in a blast of freezing rain and wind.
A tall figure dressed in a black tactical jacket stepped into the dark aircraft, holding a high-powered flashlight.
It was my son-in-law, David—Emily’s husband—flanked by six heavily armed federal agents with night-vision goggles.
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"Good evening, Evelyn," David said coldly, shining the bright beam of light directly into her terrified face.
"I believe you have some stolen assets that belong to my family."
