Chapter 7 - Gabriel’s Oldest Betrayal
Victor Mercer descended the staircase.
He was seventy-two.
Thin.
Elegant.
Alive.
Gabriel did not move.
Victor smiled.
“You’ve become sentimental.”
“You’ve become difficult to bury.”
Victor laughed.
Freya hated him immediately.
Not because he was loud.
Because he was comfortable.
Men who had done terrible things often became loud when challenged.
Victor seemed amused.
That was worse.
Arthur appeared behind him.
Gabriel looked at his oldest friend.
“How long?”
Arthur answered quietly.
“Since the beginning.”
Gabriel absorbed it.
Thirty years of loyalty became theater in four words.
Victor turned to Freya.
“So this is the waitress.”
“This is the woman who has your ledger,” Gabriel said.
Victor smiled.
“Same thing.”
Freya stepped forward.
“No. That mistake is why you’re losing.”
Victor’s expression cooled.
He demanded the card.
Freya demanded Toby.
A door opened.
Toby stumbled out, frightened but alive.
Freya released a breath.
Then Victor revealed the real trap.
He did not need the card.
He needed Freya to unlock its biometric encryption.
Elias had built a second layer into the archive using her military voiceprint.
Freya had never known.
Victor produced a laptop.
“Speak the phrase.”
“No.”
Arthur aimed a gun at Toby.
Gabriel moved.
Three rifles turned toward him.
Victor smiled.
“Fear lasts longer than gratitude.”
Gabriel looked at his father.
Then at Arthur.
“No.”
Victor frowned.
Gabriel continued.
“That’s what you taught me.”
He removed his jacket.
“But you forgot something.”
“What?”
“Fear ends the moment people stop believing you’re invincible.”
Outside, sirens erupted.
Victor turned.
Freya smiled.
She had transmitted their location before entering.
Not to Chicago police.
To federal agents from outside Victor’s network.
Victor struck her.
Gabriel crossed the distance between them so quickly that two guards barely reacted.
Chaos exploded.
Arthur dragged Victor toward the kitchen.
Freya pulled Toby down.
Gunfire shattered glass.
Gabriel disarmed one guard.
Elias entered through the service corridor with agents behind him.
Victor escaped through the kitchen.
Arthur followed.
Gabriel ran after them.
Freya did too.
In the alley, a black SUV accelerated away.
Gabriel stopped.
His father was gone.
Again.
Then Freya’s phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
YOU SAVED THE WRONG BOY.
She looked toward Toby.
“What?”
Toby stared at her.
His face had changed.
“Freya.”
“What?”
“I need to tell you something.”
He pulled up his sleeve.
On his forearm was a tattoo.
17-6-11.
The same authentication code.
Freya stepped backward.
“Where did you get that?”
Toby’s eyes filled with tears.
“My father gave it to me.”
“Who is your father?”
Toby looked toward Elias.
May you like
And whispered the name.
“Victor Mercer.”
