Chapter 13 - Richard's Last Trap
Charles tore open the envelope.
A single sheet of paper fell out.
His face changed.
"What did he do?"
I didn't know.
That was the truth.
Charles read the page.
Then looked at me.
"Where is it?"
"Where is what?"
"The archive."
I looked inside the empty vault.
"I expected it to be here."
His gun rose.
"Don't lie to me."
Edwin suddenly laughed.
Everyone turned.
Even injured, he managed a smile.
"Richard beat you."
Charles struck him across the face.
Vanessa flinched.
"What does the letter say?"
Charles ignored her.
Marcus moved slightly closer.
One of the armed men raised his weapon.
I whispered, "Don't."
Charles crumpled the letter.
"Richard transferred the archive."
"Where?"
"He doesn't say."
I understood.
The vault had never been the destination.
It was a test.
Anyone using the brass key and brooch together would reveal themselves.
Daniel's voice suddenly came through my hidden earpiece.
"We have the signal."
The brooch contained a tracking transmitter installed by security that afternoon.
Charles had taken us exactly where we needed him to.
Sirens approached outside.
Charles heard them.
His face twisted.
"You planned this."
"Somebody taught me to stop trusting obvious doors."
His eyes burned.
"Your father."
"No."
I looked at Marcus.
"My husband."
Marcus looked surprised.
Because it was true.
Living with Marcus had taught me many painful lessons.
One was that confidence often hid panic.
Charles was panicking now.
Gunfire erupted upstairs.
His men scattered.
Daniel's tactical team breached the warehouse.
Charles grabbed Vanessa.
Again.
But this time she didn't freeze.
She drove her heel down onto his foot and twisted away.
Marcus tackled one of the armed men.
Edwin dropped behind a stone column.
I moved toward Vanessa.
Charles pointed his weapon at me.
"Everything your family has belongs to me."
I stopped.
"No."
He pulled the trigger.
Nothing happened.
Empty.
Charles stared at the gun.
Edwin laughed again.
"I removed the magazine while you were dragging me through the car."
Charles turned.
Daniel hit him from the side.
Within seconds, Charles Whitmore was on the ground in handcuffs.
It should have felt like victory.
It didn't.
Because Samuel called immediately.
"The federal fraud hold just became permanent."
"What?"
"The lenders won't restore credit."
"But Charles is arrested."
"It doesn't matter."
"Why?"
Samuel took a breath.
"Because evidence has surfaced proving Marcus authorized the Blue Meridian transfers."
Marcus heard him.
His face went still.
Vanessa whispered, "No."
I looked at her.
"You said Charles arranged those."
"He did."
"Using whose signature?"
She looked toward Marcus.
His.
Samuel continued.
"The board has called another vote."
"When?"
"Tomorrow."
"What are they voting on?"
He hesitated.
"Whether to remove both you and Marcus from Sinclair operations until the investigation is complete."
May you like
The empire had survived Charles.
But now it might not survive us.
