Chapter 2 - The Empty Apartment on Oak Street
The armored black SUV sped through the wet Chicago streets, tires hissing against the rain-slicked asphalt as it cut toward the north side.
Audrey sat rigidly in the backseat between Joseph and Marcus, staring out the tinted window at the blurred neon lights of the city.
“Slow down, Marcus,” Joseph ordered, his eyes darting to the rearview mirror every few seconds.
“We’re being tailed, boss,” Marcus replied calmly, his hands resting on the tactical gear hidden beneath his custom suit jacket. “A black sedan picked us up three blocks away from the Golden Crown.”
Audrey’s heart hammered against her ribs as she turned to look at Joseph, whose jaw was clenched so tight a muscle ticked in his cheek.
“Is someone trying to kill us?” Audrey asked, her voice barely audible over the hum of the engine.
“They are trying to kill me, Audrey,” Joseph corrected gently, turning his head to meet her frightened gaze. “And now that you’ve spoken to me in public, you’re tied to the target on my back.”
“I didn't ask for this!” Audrey snapped, pulling away from him toward the car door. “I was just serving tables to pay for my nursing textbooks!”
“I know,” Joseph said, holding up his hands in a rare gesture of surrender. “I am sorry. But we are pulling onto your street now. Tell me you have your keys.”
The SUV glided to a silent stop in front of a weathered brick apartment building with flickering hallway lights.
Audrey pulled her silver key ring from her apron pocket, her fingers trembling as she pointed toward the third-floor window.
“Apartment 3B,” she whispered. “The light is off. Mom usually leaves the kitchen lamp on when she works late shifts at the bakery.”
Joseph motioned to Marcus, who slipped out of the vehicle first, drawing a suppressed pistol from his holster with practiced stealth.
“Stay in the car, Audrey,” Joseph commanded, reaching for the door handle.
“No way,” Audrey said, pushing the door open before he could stop her. “That’s my mother’s home.”
Joseph cursed under his breath and stepped out into the chilly rain, grabbing Audrey’s arm to pull her close behind his protective bulk.
They crossed the cracked concrete pavement and slipped through the heavy glass lobby door, which hung slightly off its hinges.
The stairwell smelled of old dust and cheap cleaning fluid as they climbed quietly to the third floor, their footsteps muffled by the worn carpet.
Marcus reached apartment 3B first, pressing his ear against the wooden door for a long, agonizing moment before shaking his head.
“It’s too quiet,” Marcus whispered.
Audrey squeezed past Marcus’s shoulder, ignoring his warning, and shoved her key into the lock.
The door swung open with a dry squeak, revealing total darkness inside the small apartment.
“Mom?” Audrey called out, stepping across the threshold.
A sharp, metallic smell hit Joseph’s nostrils instantly—a smell he had lived with his entire life, one he could identify blindfolded.
“Don’t turn on the light, Audrey!” Joseph shouted, lunging forward to grab her waist and pull her flat to the floor.
A muffled pop echoed through the hallway, and a bullet shattered the small decorative mirror hanging right above the entryway table.
Marcus returned fire instantly, emptying three rounds into the shadows of the living room while dragging Joseph and Audrey behind the sturdy kitchen island.
“They’re in the apartment!” Marcus yelled over the sound of breaking glass as someone scrambled out the back fire escape.
Audrey buried her face in her hands, trembling violently as the reality of her mother’s hidden past crashed down around her.
“Who are they?” Audrey cried out, tears finally breaking free down her cheeks. “What do they want with us?”
Joseph pulled her head against his chest, his strong arms wrapping around her with a fierce, protective desperation.
“They want Rose,” Joseph said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy whisper. “And they just declared war.”
Marcus swept through the back bedroom with his flashlight, emerging a moment later holding a crumpled piece of paper.
“Boss, look at this,” Marcus said, handing the paper down to Joseph. “It was left on the kitchen counter.”
May you like
Joseph unfolded the note with one hand while keeping Audrey shielded behind him with the other.
Scrawled across the paper in hurried handwriting were six words that made Joseph’s blood turn to ice: The girl dies if you look.
