Chapter 10 - The Man Behind the Prescription
Marlo opened the door.
Her sister Lena stood inside with a gun against her neck.
The man holding it looked disturbingly like Cassian's dead brother.
Evan Vale smiled.
“Now we can negotiate.”
Cassian moved forward.
Evan pressed the gun closer.
“Don't.”
Marlo looked at Lena.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
Evan wanted three things.
Cassian's signature.
Maria's signature.
Marlo's silence.
He believed fear would provide all three.
Marlo calmly picked up the contract.
Cassian watched her.
She tore it in half.
Evan's smile disappeared.
“You think you're brave?”
“No.”
Marlo tore it again.
“I think you're predictable.”
Nico killed the lights.
Chaos followed.
Lena dropped.
Cassian lunged.
The gun fired.
Marlo screamed.
When emergency lights came on, Cassian was on the floor.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Evan escaped through the service corridor.
Pell rushed in.
The bullet had passed through Cassian's side.
Painful.
Bloody.
Not immediately fatal.
As Pell treated him, Marlo saw another teacup.
She suddenly understood.
“It's not just the tea.”
Everyone looked at her.
“The cup is how he marks which routine has been compromised.”
She examined the saucer.
A number had been scratched beneath it.
Nico knew what it meant.
Casino vault seventeen.
They opened it.
Inside were thousands of medical files.
Judges.
Businessmen.
Police officials.
Politicians.
Criminals.
People Adrian and the Vales had manipulated through medication for years.
Cassian's father had discovered the operation.
Maria had discovered it too.
This was bigger than inheritance.
The Black Lantern had been used as a collection point for medical blackmail.
At the back of the vault sat a laptop.
One file was scheduled to delete itself at sunrise.
Nico opened it.
A live camera appeared.
Evan stood beside Maria.
He had taken her during the confusion.
Behind them was an IV pole.
A bag of clear fluid hung above Maria's arm.
Evan looked into the camera.
“Seven doctors couldn't save Cassian.”
He smiled.
May you like
“Let's see if the laundry woman can save her mother twice.”
Then he opened the IV line.
