Chapter 5 - The Missing Piece
The sanctuary of the penthouse became a command center over the next forty-eight hours. While Clara helped Maisie transition into a sense of safety, Nathan worked tirelessly with Marcus to track down Daniel Reed’s whereabouts.
The break came at midnight on the third day. Marcus burst into the study with a decrypted thumb drive recovered from Daniel’s burned truck.
“Boss, we got it,” Marcus said, plugging the drive into Nathan’s secure terminal. “Daniel didn't steal money. He took video footage and soil reports showing Apex intentionally constructed the waterfront foundation over old chemical dumping grounds. If built, the entire residential district would suffer catastrophic structural and biological hazard within five years.”
Nathan scanned the documents rapidly. “And where is Daniel?”
“Apex’s enforcers are holding him in an abandoned warehouse along the north docks,” Marcus said grimly. “They’re trying to force him to sign a confession taking the blame for the contamination before they dispose of him.”
Nathan stood up, pulling a heavy tactical jacket over his suit shirt. “Call local law enforcement, federal agents, and prepare the motorcade.”
“Nathan, you can’t go down there,” Sterling warned, entering the room. “You’re a high-profile CEO, not a SWAT officer!”
“Daniel Reed sacrificed everything to protect his kids and expose the truth,” Nathan replied sternly. “I’m not going to sit in a leather chair while Maisie’s father is murdered. I’m going myself.”
As Nathan walked toward the foyer, a small hand tugged at the hem of his jacket. He stopped and looked down. Maisie was standing there in her fresh yellow cotton dress, holding a small plastic toy figure of a rescue worker.
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“Bring Daddy home?” she asked softly, her big eyes glistening with tears.
Nathan knelt down, taking the toy from her hand and tucking it into his jacket pocket right above his heart. “I will bring him home, Maisie. I promise.”
