Chapter 4 - The Empty Room
The morning sun cut through a gap in the motel curtains, painting a bright stripe across the ugly carpet. I woke with a start, my hand instinctively shooting out to the other side of the double bed.
It was empty. The sheets were cold.
"Julian?" I called out, my heart hammering against my ribs as a sharp pang of panic flared in my chest.
I sat up, ignoring the dull ache in my side, and hurried across the room. His black button-up shirt was draped over the back of the chair, but his leather jacket and car keys were gone. On the small laminate nightstand sat the burner phone, glowing with a single new notification: an address on the outskirts of the county and a brief, typed message. *Stay put. Marcus is coming.*
"Damn it, Julian," I muttered, pacing the narrow space between the bed and the television. He had gone back to face Vance alone. He thought he could shield me by walking straight into the lion's den without backup.
Ten minutes later, a sharp, double rap sounded at the motel door. I froze, my hand hovering near the heavy iron lock.
"Clara? It's Marcus. Open up," a gruff voice called from the hallway.
I unlocked the deadbolt and pulled the door open just enough to see Marcus standing there. He looked exhausted, his silver-streaked hair unbrushed and his trench coat damp from the morning mist. He didn't wait for an invitation; he slipped inside quickly and locked the door behind him.
"Where is he?" I demanded, grabbing my light blue shirt and pulling it on over my shoulders.
"Vance called an emergency executive session at the downtown tower an hour ago," Marcus said, pulling a heavy manila folder from under his coat and slamming it onto the small table. "Julian intercepted the notification and drove straight there. He's storming the boardroom before Vance can scrub the server logs."
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"We have to go after him," I said, reaching for my shoes. "Vance isn't working alone. If the rest of the committee backs him, Julian is walking into an ambush."
Marcus looked at me, seeing the absolute refusal in my eyes, and gave a grim nod. "Then let's not keep them waiting."
