Chapter 10 - The Night the Estate Went Dark
Norah stared at the photograph.
"No."
Gideon reached for the phone.
She pulled it away.
"You're not going alone."
"He wants me."
"He has my sister."
"Exactly."
Norah looked at him.
"I just found out she exists."
Her voice broke for the first time.
"I am not losing her tonight."
Gideon's expression softened.
"You won't."
They made a plan.
Not Gideon's usual kind.
No army.
No convoy.
No obvious weapons.
Gideon went to the meeting point apparently alone.
Norah and Rafael followed through an underground service route shown on old city maps.
The location was a closed theater.
Anthony waited onstage.
Natalie was tied to a chair.
Gideon walked down the aisle.
"Let her go."
Anthony smiled.
"Your father always preferred you."
"You killed my mother."
"Your father told you that?"
"He recorded it."
Anthony's smile disappeared.
That was enough.
Gideon knew.
"You did."
Anthony shrugged.
"Elena discovered too much."
"And Gabriel saw you."
"Unfortunately."
"Where is he?"
Anthony laughed.
"You still don't understand."
A figure stepped onto the balcony.
Gideon looked up.
Same dark hair.
Same eyes.
Gabriel Wolf.
Older scars.
Colder expression.
But undeniably his brother.
"Hello, Gideon."
For several seconds neither man spoke.
Twenty-seven years disappeared between them.
Gideon finally whispered:
"Gabriel."
His brother descended the stairs.
Anthony looked pleased.
"Now we can finish this."
Gabriel stopped beside him.
"Yes."
Then he raised his gun.
And pointed it at Anthony.
Anthony's smile vanished.
"What are you doing?"
"Finishing it."
"You work for me."
Gabriel laughed.
"No."
Anthony backed away.
"I saved you."
"You used me."
Gabriel's hand remained steady.
"You spent years teaching me Gideon was my enemy."
His eyes moved toward his brother.
"I believed you."
Gideon said nothing.
Gabriel continued.
"Until I found our father's recording."
Anthony reached for his weapon.
A shot cracked.
The gun flew from his hand.
Rafael emerged from the shadows.
Norah ran to Natalie.
"Sister."
Natalie smiled weakly.
"Took you long enough."
Norah almost laughed while crying.
She cut the ropes.
Anthony was arrested by Gideon's men.
But Gideon kept staring at Gabriel.
"You poisoned me."
Gabriel didn't deny it.
"Yes."
Norah froze.
Gideon's face hardened.
"Why?"
"At first? Because I wanted you to suffer."
Gabriel lowered his gun.
"Then I learned the truth."
"You could've stopped."
"I did."
Norah understood.
"The residue."
Gabriel looked at her.
"I changed the formula."
"What?"
"The final dose wasn't poison."
Gideon stared.
"Then what was it?"
"A marker. Something visible enough that someone observant might notice."
Norah felt cold.
"You wanted me to find it."
"I needed someone inside Gideon's house who wasn't part of his organization."
"You chose me?"
Gabriel looked at Natalie.
"She did."
Norah turned toward her sister.
Natalie looked ashamed.
"I knew who you were."
"Before the estate?"
"Yes."
"You put me there."
"I helped your application reach the right desk."
Norah stepped backward.
Her entire life seemed manipulated.
Gideon moved beside her.
Not touching.
Just there.
Then alarms sounded.
Rafael checked his radio.
His expression changed.
"The estate."
"What?"
"Fire."
Norah's stomach dropped.
"Where?"
Rafael looked at Gideon.
"The medical wing."
Gabriel's face went white.
"That's not Anthony."
Gideon turned.
"Then who?"
Gabriel looked toward the theater doors.
"Samuel."
Marco's dead brother.
Norah stared.
"Samuel Vale is dead."
Gabriel shook his head.
"No."
A message appeared on Gideon's phone.
May you like
COME HOME, GIDEON.
I'VE BEEN WAITING ELEVEN YEARS.
