CHAPTER XXV
Mike Loughlan nodded to the security guards in the lobby in acknowledgment and strode purposefully across to the elevator.
"Good evening Mr Loughlan" one of the guards said.
Placing his security key against a reader the express elevator that served the upper deluxe floors opened and he entered.
Pressing a button the doors closed and off went the elevator, racing up and up the tower. The floor numbers counted off in rapid succession, the mild sensation of his stomach sinking into his body alluding to the speed of ascent.
BING
The door opened into the small corridor. The floor had effectively been divided in half, his apartment to the left, some legal eagle to the right. Mike approached his door and then put his security key against a reader again and tapped in a PIN number.
The sounds of the solenoid locks could be heard and then Mike pushed the door which swung open. Closing the door behind him the shutters of windows gracefully parted automatically revealing the late afternoon skyline.
Mike made his way to the mini bar and tossed his keys and wallet onto the wooden surface and poured himself a drink.
"What a day ....." he groaned as he took a mouthful of drink.
Glass in hand Mike made his way to his plush sofa and sat himself down turning on the huge TV which was on mute. Flicking to the news channel he glanced at the scrolling banner at the foot of the image.
NO LEADS IN KIMBERLY SANDERSON ESCAPE
"Well I did what I could ...." Mike grumbled.
"And what was that ?" said Lucy, some sort of weapon pointed at the man. She had been sat perfectly still in a corner and Mike hadn't even noticed her.
Mike flinched and sat bolt upright.
"Christ, who the fuck are you?" Mike exclaimed.
"YOU have been a very bad boy Mr Loughlan....." Lucy said calmly.
"Did..... Did Bobby send you? " Mike blabbed as he subtly tried to scoot sideways on the sofa. On the armrest Mike felt the panic switch button and pressed it subtly.
"Oh I can see why you would think that ....." Lucy said as she flicked her wrist causing the muzzle of the weapon to gesture at him to move back which he did.
"What do you mean ....?" Mike retorted his eyes darting around in fear.
"Don't you think he would find out about your secret share dealing .... how is your stock broker by the way ...?" Lucy probed. She liked asking questions she knew the answer to, it helped gauge people's honesty.
Mike knew she was referring to Victor, he hadn't heard from him in a few days and was worried.
"What have you done with Victor...he he's a good man....if it's money you want I ... " Mike's words tumbled from his mouth, his nerves rattled.
"I'm going to be honest Mike, the only reason I know about you is because sadly Victor was murdered and ...." Lucy tried to explain calmly.
"Oh Jeezus ...you killed him?" Mike said visibly shaken, his hand rising to his mouth.
"No Mike, it was just a common mugger.... but your man left a trail right to you..." Lucy explained, trying to calm the mans nerves.
"Does, does Bobby know about this .... " Mike wondered aloud.
"Mike....we both know there is more to this than just a little insider trading ... Don't we?" Lucy said, keeping the pressure on.
"You mean the charity...don't you?" Mike said with guilt in his tone.
"AND the rest ...." Lucy said accusingly, the circumstantial evidence suggested he knew about the oil rig 'accident' too.
"What do you mean?" Mike asked slyly.
"Shorting an oil field just before it blows up, Mike..is that a decent way to make money?" Lucy said
"Christ, that wasn't about money... hell alright, sure, the money was for the charity but... Jeezus you won't believe me anyway..." Mike said as he drew another mouthful of drink from his glass.
"Why don't you try me, Mike?" Lucy said as she leant forward in her seat.
Mike glanced at his watch, it had been a minute since he pressed the panic switch, rescue would be on the way, now if he could just....
"Well......" Mike began then with a quick motion threw his shot glass at Lucy, quite accurately too. Lucy bobbed to one side as Mike made a run for it, he didn't look back but just ran off.
Lucy rolled her eyes as Mike ran away and rose to her feet calmly to bring him back. Mike instinctively made his way to the panic room built in to the core of the apartment and activated the door to let himself in. Moments later Lucy arrived at the door and tapped at the metal surface.
"Oh Mikey....come on out...."
"Go to hell, they'll be here any second now anyway"
Lucy tapped at the key code door and it unlocked itself.
"What the fuck! " yelled Mike as he saw his refuge be entered so easily.
Mike stepped forward, a pistol held shakily in his grip.
"I've got a gun, stay ..... stay back ....." Mike said nervously.
Lucy glanced at the weapon. Although nervous, Mike had loaded it, cocked it ready, released the safety and, to his credit, had not set it to full auto.
"Mike, give me that thing before .... " Lucy said calmly.
CLICK CLICK CLICK
Mike looked in disbelief at his pistol. He was sure he had done everything right, just like the people in the gun club had shown him.
"Really, Mike ? REALLY !?" Lucy was disappointed that Mike had decided he had wanted to take the shot.
"Give me that thing..." Lucy snatched the pistol from the mans hands and dragged him back to the living room, shoving him back on to the sofa.
"Why, why aren't they coming?" whimpered Mike.
"Because I disconnected all your security when I got here...." Lucy explained as she, before Mikes very eyes dismantled his pistol, then from a pouch, retrieved the firing pin and reinstalled it before taking aim back at the man.
Little did he know that had he taken refuge in his kitchen or bedroom the weapons hidden there were deactivated too. Lucy had also gone to the trouble of removing and hiding all of Mikes deluxe custom made ceramic kitchen knives his fine steak knife collection, even all his forks. With luck he might have laid his hands on a deadly spoon but it wasn't likely.
"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" Mike said dejectedly.
"Start talking and I might not, what is it I won't believe?" Lucy asked as she reclined in her chair.
"I don't know what it is but .... it's about his sister ..." Mike began.
"What about her, earlier you said you did all you could ....did you break her out ?" Lucy probed.
"Are you fucking kidding me, I was trying to keep her in there for good, or get her the chair ..." Mike said, his temper rising.
"So, what does that have to do with blowing up the rig?" Lucy asked, confused between the link.
"LUCK, I don't know how or why but there is some kind of .... link between them, it's fucking freaky as hell but..., I swear to you ..," Mike said confidently.
Lucy cocked her head, he had been right, she didn't believe it but there seemed to be a reason he did.
"Explain ..... " Lucy said firmly but with a frown.
"Ok .... I'll try....." Mike said as he gathered his thoughts.