Chapter 17 - THE CONTINENTAL VAULT
At nine o'clock the following morning, a convoy of three armored black SUVs pulled up to the granite steps of the Continental Bank in downtown Chicago.
Rain had begun to fall over the city, slicking the concrete streets with dark reflections. Armed guards wearing dark suits and earpieces stepped out of the lead and trailing vehicles, securing a tight perimeter around the bank's private VIP entrance.
The rear door of the center SUV opened.
Alessandro stepped out into the rain, wearing a long black cashmere overcoat over his tailored three-piece suit. He held a large black umbrella over his head, stepping around to open the door for Elena.
Elena stepped out, holding eight-month-old Mia close against her chest. Mia was wrapped in a cozy, thick pink fleece blanket, her small light-brown hair peeking out from beneath a matching hood.
Alessandro held the umbrella over the mother and child, shielding them completely from the rain as he guided them up the granite steps and through the heavy brass doors of the bank.
Inside, the bank manager—a nervous, middle-aged man in a sharp suit—was already waiting with two armed security officers.
"Mr. Duca!" the manager gasped, bowing his head nervously as he escorted the group toward the private elevator. "We received your call twenty minutes ago. The subterranean vault has been cleared of all other clients, per your instructions."
"Keep it cleared," Alessandro ordered as the elevator doors closed, carrying them eighty feet below street level into the bank's high-security bedrock vault.
The elevator chimed open, revealing a cavernous hall constructed from reinforced steel and granite blocks. Hundreds of polished steel safety deposit boxes lined the walls under bright fluorescent lights.
Alessandro walked down the central aisle, his heavy leather shoes echoing against the concrete. He stopped in front of Box 412—the exact number written in Lorenzo’s journal.
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He pulled the silver key from his pocket, inserting it alongside the manager’s master key.
With a heavy metallic click, the steel box unlocked.
