Chapter 8 - The Bank Vault Ambush
At 7:50 AM, the rain was pouring in sheets over downtown Portland.
First Pacific Bank on 5th Avenue was a monumental stone structure built in the 1920s, featuring thick bronze doors and massive marble columns.
Marcus parked our vehicle in a subterranean garage two blocks away. He stayed with Oliver in the car, keeping his weapon ready, while Rachel and I, dressed in dark coats and rain hats to obscure our faces, walked through the heavy glass doors of the bank as soon as the security guard unlocked them at 8:00 AM sharp.
We were led down into the cool, silent basement vault by an elderly bank teller named Mr. Henderson.
"Box 412," Rachel murmured, handing him the brass key and her legal identification card.
The teller turned his master key, then Rachel turned her brass key. With a heavy metallic click, the narrow steel drawer slid out.
Inside lay a thick leather binder containing original blue-stamped testing reports from the transit bridge, alongside a black encrypted thumb drive.
"We got it," Rachel whispered, tears of relief shining in her eyes as she tucked the drive into her coat pocket.
"Did you really think it would be that easy, ladies?" a voice echoed from the vault entrance.
We whirled around.
Julian Vance stepped into the high-security vault room, flanked by two burly men wearing black tactical jackets. Behind them, lying unconscious on the marble floor near the elevator, was the bank manager.
Julian held a sleek silver handgun pointed directly at Rachel’s chest.
"Hand over the drive, Rachel," Julian spat, his polite charm completely gone, replaced by a desperate, murderous rage. "Did you really think I didn't have automated alerts set on every bank account and deposit box tied to your name? The moment your ID was scanned at the front desk, my men were five minutes away."
Rachel stepped in front of me, holding her hands out. "Take the drive, Julian! Take it! Just promise me you won't touch Oliver or Nora!"
Julian laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "Oh, Rachel. You always were so naïve. Once I destroy this drive, you are going to a private facility in Spokane where you will spend the rest of your life heavily sedated. And as for Nora..." He glanced at me with dark eyes. "A tragic bank robbery gone wrong. A lone gunman. It will be in the evening news."
"You haven't changed at all, Julian," I said smoothly, taking a slow step toward the side of the vault table. "Still stealing other people's work. Still hiding behind hired guns."
"Shut up!" Julian barked, raising his weapon toward my head.
Suddenly, a loud, ear-splitting metallic alarm began to scream throughout the bank vault, followed by the blinding flash of emergency strobe lights and the heavy, pneumatic thud of the vault’s ten-ton steel blast door beginning to automatically slide shut.
Julian’s enforcers panicked, looking back toward the narrowing door opening.
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From the hallway, Marcus leaped into the doorway, firing a high-powered stun gun directly into the chest of Julian’s lead guard. The man collapsed instantly, sending his gun skidding across the floor.
"Nora! Rachel! Out! Now!" Marcus roared over the deafening alarm.
