Chapter 107 Trapped in the Vault

The heavy vault doors slammed shut with a resounding clang, sealing Ethan and Luca inside.

Red warning lights flashed overhead, casting eerie shadows across the stacks of cash and stolen secrets surrounding them. A piercing alarm wailed, muffling the sound of Ethan’s measured breathing as he scanned the room.

Luca’s fists clenched, knuckles white. “This is bad.”

Ethan ignored him, mind racing.

Vale’s voice crackled through a hidden speaker, his tone dripping with amusement. “You’ve been quite the nuisance, Ethan. I admire the effort, truly. But this? This was predictable.”

Luca cursed under his breath, pacing. “Great. The psycho’s watching us.”

Ethan traced his fingers along the walls, feeling for irregularities. Vaults like these weren’t just built to keep people out—they were built to keep people in.

Vale continued, voice smooth. “I have to wonder, Ethan—was it worth it? You came all this way, played your little games, and for what? A folder?”

Ethan ignored the taunt. Words were distractions.

There had to be a way out.

He moved toward the reinforced door, eyes scanning for vulnerabilities. Thick steel. A digital lock—one Vale likely controlled remotely. The vents were too small to crawl through, and the air inside was already starting to thin.

Time was against them.

Alea’s voice broke through the earpiece, breathless. “Ethan, I lost access. Vale’s cut me off completely. He’s controlling everything manually now.”

Ethan’s gaze darkened. Of course, he was.

Vale chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry about your girl, Ethan. She’s next. I’ll deal with her once I finish watching you suffocate.”

Luca slammed a fist against the wall. “That son of a—”

Ethan’s mind clicked into place. Vale was watching. He wouldn’t have locked them inside if he didn’t plan to gloat first. That was his weakness.

Ethan pressed a button on his earpiece, switching frequencies. “Alea, tell me the backup generator’s location.”

A brief pause. Then: “South wing. But Ethan, you’d have to get out first—”

“I will,” he interrupted. “Just be ready.”

They had one shot.

The Breakout

Ethan moved fast. He grabbed a stack of hundred-dollar bills, flipping them open to reveal the thin security strip inside.

Luca blinked. “What the hell are you doing?”

Ethan peeled out the metal strips, weaving them together. A makeshift conductor.

Vale’s voice purred through the speakers. “Fascinating. I wonder what you’re trying to pull.”

Ethan didn’t respond. Instead, he reached for a small emergency panel near the floor—a standard feature in high-security vaults. Inside was a backup electrical system, designed in case of a power failure.

Ethan worked fast, attaching the makeshift conductor.

Luca frowned. “And this is gonna do… what?”

Ethan glanced at him. “Short-circuit the failsafe. When it overloads, the door will open—briefly.”

Luca gave a low whistle. “And if it doesn’t?”

Ethan’s smirk was sharp. “Then we die in here.”

Luca muttered, “Encouraging.”

Ethan touched the final connection.

A burst of sparks exploded from the panel.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then—the red lights flickered.

The vault door whined, its mechanism struggling.

Ethan and Luca moved instantly.

The door clicked open just an inch—but an inch was all they needed.

Ethan jammed his fingers in the gap, muscles straining as he forced the steel apart.

Luca shoved his shoulder against the door, both men gritting their teeth, pushing.

With a final groan of metal—the door slid open.

They bolted.

The Chase

The second they hit the hallway, gunfire erupted.

Guards stormed in from both sides, Vale’s men armed to the teeth.

Ethan dove left, rolling behind a pillar as bullets shredded the air.

Luca fired back, dropping two guards in quick succession. “We need a way out!”

Ethan’s voice was calm. “We already have one.”

Alea’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “Ethan, I rerouted the security feed. There’s an access tunnel near the south wing. You need to move, now.”

Ethan grabbed a discarded rifle and fired three quick shots. A guard staggered, falling.

“Go!” Ethan barked.

They sprinted down the corridor, weaving between fallen bodies and overturned furniture. The casino alarms blared, the entire building in chaos.

More guards appeared ahead.

Ethan didn’t slow. He grabbed a roulette table, tipping it over as makeshift cover. Bullets riddled the wood.

“Luca—window,” Ethan ordered.

Luca didn’t hesitate. He fired a single shot at the massive floor-to-ceiling glass pane—

Shattered.

Wind howled as shards rained down.

Ethan and Luca ran full speed—and jumped.

The Escape

They hit the ground hard, rolling as shattered glass rained around them.

Ethan came up first, scanning. The docks were ahead.

Luca groaned, pushing himself up. “Tell me you have a boat waiting.”

Ethan smirked. “I have something better.”

The sound of screeching tires filled the air.

A black SUV drifted to a stop, Alea behind the wheel.

“Get in!” she yelled.

They didn’t hesitate.

As soon as they hit the seats, Alea floored the gas. The SUV roared forward, weaving through the narrow dock streets as guards poured out of the casino, firing.

Ethan twisted in his seat, returning fire.

Luca shouted, “We need to lose them!”

Alea’s grip was tight on the wheel. “Working on it!”

The SUV tore through the streets, tires skidding, engines growling.

Then—headlights ahead.

Two black cars blocked the path.

Vale’s men.

Alea didn’t slow.

“Hold on.”

Ethan braced himself.

Alea jerked the wheel, slamming the SUV straight into the first car. Metal screamed. The force sent their vehicle spinning, but it cleared the road.

Ethan exhaled. Damn.

Alea smirked. “Told you I was working on it.”

Behind them, the casino loomed—guards scrambling, sirens wailing.

They were out.

For now.

Ethan glanced at the black folder in his lap, the weight of it heavy.

This wasn’t over.

Not yet.