Chapter 6 - The Huge Mistake
There was no version of the night where I trusted Creed.
There was also no version where I delivered Claire to him.
So we created a third option.
Gabe contacted an old federal investigator named Maya Collins.
Someone outside the local chain.
Someone he trusted.
We sent her copies of everything on Victor’s drive.
Not all at once.
Multiple encrypted locations.
Insurance.
If Creed wanted the evidence gone, he was already too late.
Claire insisted on coming.
I refused three times.
She won the fourth.
Not because I changed my mind.
Because she said something I couldn’t answer.
“I spent eight months being moved around like a piece on Marcus’s board. I’m finished letting men decide where I’m allowed to stand.”
Fair.
We drove to Kane Combat Gym.
Midnight had passed.
Parking lot empty.
Front lights on.
Gabe’s people positioned outside.
Federal tactical support was still twenty minutes away.
Too long.
Creed had given us ten.
Claire and I entered together.
No weapons.
Visible.
My heart rate was steady.
Not calm.
Controlled.
Different thing.
Derek knelt inside the cage.
Bruised.
Conscious.
Brooks stood behind him with a pistol.
Creed sat in a folding chair outside the cage.
“Ethan.”
“You look terrible for a dead man.”
He smiled.
“The river was cold.”
Claire stepped forward.
“Let Derek go.”
Derek looked at her.
Something in his face cracked.
Shame.
Maybe finally.
Creed said, “You brought the drive?”
“Yes.”
“Show me.”
I held up a duplicate.
Not the original.
He couldn’t know.
“Claire first.”
“She stays.”
“No.”
“Then Derek dies.”
Derek laughed weakly.
“Not gonna lie, Mercer. This is not how I pictured our rematch.”
“There won’t be one.”
“I’m okay with that.”
Creed’s eyes narrowed.
“You two becoming friends?”
“No.”
Derek nodded.
“Definitely no.”
Despite everything, Claire almost smiled.
Creed hated that.
Control depended on fear.
Humor damages fear.
“Enough.”
Brooks pressed the pistol against Derek’s head.
Claire froze.
Creed extended his hand.
“The drive.”
I tossed it onto the mat halfway between us.
Creed motioned.
Brooks moved to retrieve it.
That separated him from Derek.
Exactly what I wanted.
Derek saw it too.
Good fighter.
Poor man.
But not stupid.
Creed picked up the drive.
“You should have stayed away.”
“You kidnapped my son.”
“He was never supposed to be harmed.”
“That improves nothing.”
“You don’t understand the stakes.”
“I understand you murdered people to protect a blackmail network.”
His eyes flickered.
That was confirmation.
Claire said, “Emily too?”
Everything stopped.
I turned.
“What?”
Claire looked at Creed.
“Tell him.”
My chest tightened.
“Tell me what?”
Creed stayed silent.
Claire’s tears started.
“Marcus found something else.”
“When?”
“Months ago.”
“What?”
She could barely say it.
“Emily’s hospital.”
No.
I shook my head.
“No.”
Creed stood.
“Don’t.”
I stepped toward Claire.
“What about Emily?”
“Our insurance appeal.”
I remembered.
Treatment.
Experimental program.
Initially approved.
Then suddenly denied.
We fought for weeks.
By the time approval was restored, Emily’s condition had worsened.
Doctors said it probably wouldn’t have changed the outcome.
Probably.
That word haunted me for years.
Claire continued.
“The executive who reversed the approval was connected to one of Creed’s companies.”
I looked at him.
The room disappeared.
“You used my daughter.”
Creed answered carefully.
“We needed pressure.”
Pressure.
My twelve-year-old dying child had been pressure.
Something inside me went frighteningly quiet.
Brooks pointed the gun at me.
“Back up.”
I didn’t.
“Ethan,” Claire whispered.
I heard Emily’s voice.
Not really.
Memory.
Dad, promise you won’t be angry forever.
She had said it after I yelled at a nurse.
Twelve years old.
Dying.
Still worried about me.
I stopped moving.
Creed looked almost disappointed.
“You see? You’re not the man you were.”
“No.”
I looked at him.
“I’m better.”
Outside, sirens.
Creed turned.
Brooks cursed.
“You said we had time.”
“We did.”
I smiled.
“Not anymore.”
Creed looked at the drive.
Realized.
“Copy.”
“Obviously.”
He threw it down.
Brooks grabbed Claire.
Gun to her side.
Derek stood inside the cage.
“Let her go.”
Brooks laughed.
“You’re in no position—”
Derek kicked the cage door outward.
It struck Brooks.
Claire dropped.
I moved.
Not forty-seven ways.
One.
Control the weapon.
Redirect.
Disarm.
Brooks hit the floor.
Gun slid away.
Derek tackled him.
Creed ran.
Gabe entered from the side.
“Ethan!”
I followed Creed.
Through locker room.
Back hallway.
Emergency exit.
Parking lot.
He reached a black sedan.
Door locked.
I caught him.
He turned with a knife.
Of course.
He slashed.
I stepped back.
Again.
He was old but trained.
“Your whole life,” he said, breathing hard, “you’ve been fighting wars other men chose.”
“That ends tonight.”
He lunged.
I caught his wrist.
Twisted.
Knife fell.
He swung with his left.
I blocked.
Turned him.
Pinned him against the car.
I could have hurt him.
Badly.
For Nolan.
For Victor.
For Marcus.
For Claire.
For Ryan.
For Emily.
Especially Emily.
Creed looked at me.
He knew.
“Do it.”
My grip tightened.
“Do it.”
For one terrible second, I wanted to.
Then I saw Claire standing twenty feet away.
Watching.
Ryan’s face existed in my mind.
Emily’s voice.
Promise.
I released Creed.
He stumbled.
“What?”
“You don’t get to turn me into you.”
Federal vehicles flooded the lot.
Agents surrounded him.
Maya Collins approached with weapon drawn.
“Thomas Creed, hands where I can see them.”
He looked at me.
Years of power disappeared from his face.
He raised his hands.
Brooks was arrested inside.
Derek came out in handcuffs too.
Claire looked surprised.
Maya explained.
“Blackmail, assault, conspiracy. We’ll sort cooperation later.”
Derek nodded.
He looked at me.
“I’m sorry.”
I said nothing.
He looked at Claire.
“I really did care about you.”
She answered softly.
“I know.”
Then agents took him away.
The sun was beginning to rise.
Claire and I stood in the parking lot.
Neither knew what came next.
Maybe there was no next.
Then Maya’s phone rang.
She listened.
Her expression changed.
“What?”
She looked at me.
“Marcus Vale disappeared from the hospital.”
My stomach tightened.
“Escaped?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
She lowered the phone.
“Someone signed him out.”
“Who?”
Maya turned the screen toward me.
The authorization was signed by one name.
May you like
Claire Mercer.
And Claire was standing right beside me.
