Marcus looked at him.
"Why?"
Daniel didn't answer.
Instead, he pulled out a photograph.
It showed the Harrison Grand under construction.
Beside it stood three men.
One was young Daniel.
Another was a young businessman.
The third man was barely recognizable.
Marcus studied him.
"Who is that?"
Daniel's voice became quiet.
"Arthur Kane."
Marcus knew the name.
Everyone in Chicago did.
Arthur Kane was one of the richest developers in the country.
He had built hotels, residential towers, office complexes.
And he was currently trying to acquire Harrison Grand Holdings.
Marcus looked at Daniel.
"What does he have to do with this?"
"Everything."
Daniel slowly sat down.
"Thirty years ago, Kane wanted this building."
"Why?"
"Because the land beneath it was worth more than the building itself."
Marcus frowned.
Daniel continued.
"There was supposed to be a major transportation project beneath this area. Kane knew about it before anyone else."
"So he wanted the property?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't he just buy it?"
"Because Evelyn Harrison refused to sell."
Marcus looked toward the city.
"Then what happened?"
Daniel's expression darkened.
"There was an accident."
The accident had happened on a cold November night.
At the time, Harrison Grand was nearly complete.
The elevators had not yet been fully certified.
The electrical system was temporary.
Hundreds of workers were still inside.
Daniel had been in the basement reviewing structural plans when he heard an explosion.
The building shook.
Lights went out.
Then came screaming.
A fire had started in the electrical room.
Daniel rushed toward the elevators.
He immediately realized they were useless.
Smoke filled the lower floors.
Workers were trapped.
Daniel knew the building better than anyone.
He led people through emergency corridors.
One by one, they escaped.
Except for seven men.
They never made it out.
The official report called it an electrical malfunction.
But Daniel had never believed that.
"Someone caused it," Marcus said.
Daniel nodded.
"I found evidence."
"What kind?"
"Chemical residue."
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
"Accelerant?"
"Yes."
"Did you report it?"
"Of course."
"What happened?"
Daniel looked at him.
"The evidence disappeared."
Marcus felt a chill.
"Who made it disappear?"
"I never proved it."
"But you suspected Kane."
Daniel nodded.
"After the fire, Evelyn stopped construction for six months."
"Why?"
"She wanted an investigation."
"And?"
"The investigation was closed."
Marcus looked at the old blueprint.
"So why are you telling me this now?"
Daniel's answer came quietly.
"Because the same thing is happening again."
Marcus stood.
"What?"
Daniel pointed toward the blueprint.
"Someone has been accessing the old emergency structure."
Marcus looked at the document.
"Recently?"
"Within the last three months."
"How do you know?"
Daniel removed another piece of paper.
A maintenance record.
Marcus read the date.
Three weeks earlier.
Then another.
Two weeks earlier.
Then another.
Five days earlier.
Someone had been entering a section of the building that officially did not exist.
Marcus felt the hairs rise on his arms.
"Why didn't you tell the police?"
"I did."
"And?"
"They found nothing."
Marcus stared at him.
Daniel leaned closer.
"Because the person accessing the structure has authorization."
Marcus understood.
Someone inside the company.
Someone with security clearance.
Someone who could move through the building without raising suspicion.
"Who?"
Daniel shook his head.
"I don't know."
"Then why me?"
Daniel looked at him for a long moment.
"Because yesterday, when you stopped me, you did something very important."
"What?"
"You trusted procedure more than appearances."
Marcus frowned.
Daniel smiled.
"That's rare."
At 10:13 p.m., Marcus received his first alarm.
Basement level.
Restricted corridor.
He immediately called the control room.
"Security, confirm motion alert in B4."
Static.
Then:
"Negative. No motion detected."
Marcus frowned.
"My panel says otherwise."
"Probably a sensor fault."
Marcus looked at the monitor.
The camera feed showed an empty corridor.
Then something moved.
A shadow.
Fast.
Marcus grabbed his flashlight.
He entered the restricted corridor.
The door closed behind him.