Chapter 6 - The Last Trap
Grant moved toward Sophia’s voice.
Darkness swallowed the power station.
Emergency lights flashed red.
“Grant!”
“I’m here!”
He reached the chairs.
Anna.
Sophia.
Both alive.
He cut Sophia’s restraints.
Then Anna’s.
“Move toward the loading bay.”
“The doors are locked,” Anna said.
“Marcus will open them.”
“What about Evelyn?”
Grant turned.
She was gone.
His heart stopped.
“Evelyn!”
No answer.
A gunshot echoed.
Then another.
Grant pushed Anna and Sophia behind the turbine.
“Stay down.”
He ran.
The timer had not been an explosive.
Not exactly.
Patrick’s final trap had activated the building’s emergency lockdown.
Grant understood why.
The power station had once been converted into a disaster-proof data center.
Steel shutters.
Isolated circuits.
Radio suppression.
A cage.
Patrick had designed the perfect place to trap Adrian Vale.
But Grant’s father had not anticipated Evelyn being injured.
Or children inside.
“Evelyn!”
A faint voice.
“Here.”
Grant followed.
She was behind a generator.
On the floor.
Adrian stood above her.
Gun aimed downward.
Grant stopped.
Adrian smiled.
“Your father always ruined the elegant part.”
“Step away from her.”
“Drop the weapon.”
Grant did.
The gun hit concrete.
Adrian looked pleased.
“Imagine Patrick seeing this.”
“I imagine he’d be disappointed you still need a hostage.”
Adrian’s smile vanished.
“You think this is about revenge?”
“I think men like you call obsession strategy.”
Adrian pressed the gun closer to Evelyn.
She grimaced.
“Careful,” Grant said.
“Or?”
“Or you lose the only person who can access Halcyon.”
Adrian laughed.
“The drive is already open.”
“No.”
Evelyn spoke.
Her voice was weak.
“But it isn’t.”
Adrian looked down.
She smiled faintly.
“You opened the shell.”
His expression changed.
“What?”
“The case released the index.”
Grant understood.
“Not the archive.”
Evelyn continued.
“The archive requires continuous authorization.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
“From both of you?”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“From me.”
Adrian crouched.
“Then authorize it.”
“No.”
He struck her across the face.
Grant moved.
Adrian aimed at him.
“One more step.”
Grant stopped.
Evelyn spit blood onto the concrete.
Then she laughed.
It was quiet.
Painful.
But real.
Adrian stared.
“What’s funny?”
“You spent eleven years hunting Thomas Price’s daughter.”
She raised her eyes.
“And you still don’t understand accountants.”
Adrian frowned.
Evelyn whispered, “We always keep backups.”
A loud mechanical sound came from above.
Screens throughout the power station flickered on.
Files began uploading.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Adrian stared.
“No.”
Evelyn looked at Grant.
“The archive is transmitting.”
“To who?”
“Everyone.”
Adrian grabbed her.
“Stop it!”
“I can’t.”
“Liar.”
“The moment the case opened, the dead-man switch started.”
Grant almost smiled.
Patrick.
Thomas.
Evelyn.
Three people who had prepared for Adrian’s return.
The screens showed addresses.
Journalists.
Federal prosecutors.
International investigators.
Banks.
Regulators.
Every piece of Halcyon was being distributed.
Adrian had lost.
And he knew it.
His face transformed.
Not fear.
Rage.
He turned the gun toward Evelyn.
Grant moved.
The shot fired.
Grant hit Adrian before the echo ended.
They crashed into the floor.
Adrian struck first.
Grant answered harder.
Years of restrained hatred exploded in seconds.
Adrian reached for the gun.
Grant caught his wrist.
Adrian smiled through blood.
“You think she’ll stay with you after this?”
Grant drove his elbow down.
“She stayed when she thought I abandoned our child.”
Adrian froze for half a second.
Enough.
Grant twisted the weapon away.
He stood over him.
Gun aimed.
Adrian laughed.
“Do it.”
Grant’s finger tightened.
Evelyn whispered, “Grant.”
He looked at her.
She shook her head.
Not mercy.
Something more important.
Choice.
Grant lowered the weapon.
Adrian stared in disbelief.
“You’re letting me live?”
“No.”
Grant looked toward the cameras.
“I’m letting the truth do it.”
The emergency doors opened.
Marcus entered with armed men.
Behind him came police vehicles.
Federal agents.
Grant frowned.
Marcus shrugged.
“Evelyn scheduled them.”
Grant looked at her.
She smiled weakly.
“Accountant.”
Adrian was taken into custody.
So was Leon.
Dante was freed.
His son was safe.
Anna and Sophia were escorted outside.
For the first time that night, Grant allowed himself to believe it might end.
Then Evelyn collapsed.
He caught her.
“Evelyn.”
No response.
Her bandage was soaked.
“Keene!”
The doctor pushed through the responders.
He knelt.
Checked her pulse.
His face changed.
“Ambulance. Now.”
Grant lifted her.
Her head rested against his chest.
He felt how cold she had become.
“No.”
Keene looked at him.
“Grant.”
“No.”
“She’s lost too much blood.”
“Then give her mine.”
“You don’t even know if you match.”
“Test it.”
They reached the ambulance.
Grant climbed inside.
Keene tried to stop him.
Grant ignored him.
Evelyn’s eyes fluttered.
“Grant?”
“I’m here.”
“Anna?”
“Safe.”
“Sophia?”
“Safe.”
She breathed out.
“The drive?”
“Sent.”
A faint smile.
“Good.”
Her eyes began closing.
Grant touched her face.
“No.”
“I’m tired.”
“Not yet.”
She looked at him.
He swallowed.
“There are things I need to say.”
“Say them later.”
“That’s the idea.”
A tiny smile.
Then her eyes closed.
The monitor alarm changed.
Keene swore.
“Pressure dropping.”
Grant squeezed her hand.
“Evelyn.”
Nothing.
“Evelyn.”
Keene pushed him aside.
The ambulance accelerated.
May you like
Grant stared at her motionless face.
Then the heart monitor flattened into one continuous tone.
