Chapter 8 - THE SECOND TRAITOR
“No.”
Marcus Bell stood in the underground corridor with both hands visible.
Adrian pointed his gun at him.
Not shaking.
Not hesitating.
Simply pointed.
“Tell me where Eli is.”
Marcus looked wounded.
“I moved him because the original location was compromised.”
“Without telling me.”
“There was no time.”
“Where?”
“A safe apartment in Queens.”
“Who knows?”
“Me. Agent Torres. That’s it.”
Hannah stepped forward.
“Call her.”
Marcus did.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Hannah’s breathing quickened.
Adrian said, “Address.”
Marcus gave it.
Daniel immediately sent two men.
Camille remained kneeling beside Preston.
She had stopped crying.
Shock had emptied her face.
Rebecca crouched beside her.
For years Camille had probably imagined Rebecca as the woman who abandoned her.
Now the biological mother she barely knew was the only one holding her while the father who raised her lay dead.
Adrian looked away.
“Room forty-two.”
Daniel nodded.
“The old executive level has numbered conference rooms.”
“What would Samuel keep there?”
“Server access.”
Rebecca stood.
“The ledger.”
Adrian understood.
Samuel wanted the digital archive.
He had lured them into the building because Rebecca possessed the phrase.
“Then we give him what he wants.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“No.”
“We give him something that looks like what he wants.”
Daniel looked at Adrian.
“You have a plan?”
“Yes.”
“Good one?”
“No.”
For the first time all night, Daniel almost smiled.
They split.
Daniel and Rebecca headed toward the old board level through one stairwell.
Adrian, Hannah, and Marcus used another.
Camille refused to leave Preston.
Two guards stayed with her.
At the thirty-ninth floor, Adrian’s phone buzzed.
Agent Torres.
He answered immediately.
“Torres.”
A woman whispered:
“Sir…”
“Where’s Eli?”
“I lost him.”
Hannah grabbed Adrian’s arm.
Torres continued.
“Two men hit the apartment. I got Mrs. Alvarez out. Eli ran into the stairwell during the fight.”
Hannah’s face drained.
“Where is he now?”
“We’re searching.”
Adrian closed his eyes for one second.
Samuel had not captured Eli.
Not yet.
That was the good news.
The bad news was a six-year-old boy was somewhere in a Queens apartment complex while armed men searched for him.
Adrian handed the phone to Hannah.
“Talk to Torres. Tell her where Eli hides when he’s scared.”
Hannah nodded shakily.
“He likes small places.”
“What kind?”
“Laundry rooms. Closets. Under stairs.”
Torres heard.
“We’ll search.”
Hannah added quickly, “He knows my phone number. If he gets access to a phone—”
Her own phone rang.
Unknown.
She answered immediately.
“Hello?”
A tiny voice whispered.
“Mommy?”
Hannah nearly collapsed.
“Eli.”
“Mommy, there are bad men.”
“I know, baby.”
Adrian watched her force calm into her voice.
It was one of the bravest things he had seen all night.
“Where are you?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you see?”
“Brooms.”
A closet.
“Are you in the building?”
“Yes.”
“Stay quiet.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know.”
She covered her mouth briefly.
Adrian crouched beside her phone.
“Eli?”
Silence.
“Who’s that?”
“My name is Adrian. I’m with your mom.”
“Are you a cop?”
“No.”
Hannah almost laughed despite herself.
Adrian continued.
“But I have people looking for you.”
“Good people?”
Adrian looked at Hannah.
“Yes.”
Eli whispered, “Okay.”
Then another voice came through the phone.
A door opened near him.
Eli gasped.
The call disconnected.
Hannah stopped breathing.
Adrian immediately called Torres.
“Find that closet.”
“We’re moving.”
Then gunfire sounded faintly through Torres’s phone.
Hannah closed her eyes.
Adrian put a hand against the wall.
Every instinct told him to abandon Prescott Tower and go to Queens himself.
But Samuel’s operation connected everything.
Stop Samuel here, and the danger might end everywhere.
Marcus said, “Boss, I can go.”
Adrian looked at him.
Trust had become expensive.
Marcus understood.
“You don’t trust me.”
“I don’t know.”
“That hurts.”
“So did Daniel.”
Marcus nodded slowly.
“Fair.”
Adrian handed him the phone.
“Bring Eli back.”
Marcus stared at him.
“You sure?”
“No.”
Then:
“But go.”
Marcus left at a run.
Hannah watched him disappear.
“You just sent the man Preston accused to find my son.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because if Marcus wanted Eli, he already had access. Moving him without telling me was suspicious. But Samuel’s men attacked the new location, which means Marcus probably wasn’t delivering him.”
“Probably?”
“It’s the best answer I have.”
Hannah breathed shakily.
“I hate your world.”
“So do I.”
That surprised her.
Before she could answer, Daniel’s voice came through the earpiece.
“We’re at room forty-two.”
Adrian and Hannah hurried upstairs.
The old board level was dark.
Room 42 sat behind frosted glass.
Daniel stood outside.
Rebecca beside him.
The door opened from inside.
Samuel Vale sat alone at a conference table.
No visible weapon.
No guards.
A laptop glowed before him.
“Adrian.”
Adrian entered first.
Hannah followed.
Samuel smiled at her.
“You came.”
She wanted to hit him.
Instead she said:
“You threatened my son.”
Samuel looked almost offended.
“I needed you motivated.”
“You’re sick.”
“Perhaps.”
Rebecca stepped inside.
“Let him go.”
Samuel looked at her.
“Eli was never mine.”
Hannah’s hands curled.
“You sent men.”
“No.”
Adrian frowned.
“Then who did?”
Samuel looked toward Daniel.
“Your little security war has become difficult to follow.”
Daniel raised his gun.
Samuel laughed.
“If you shoot me, the truth dies.”
Adrian looked at the laptop.
“What truth?”
Samuel turned the screen.
Bank ledgers.
Corporate transfers.
Old emails.
Photographs.
“Richard’s archive.”
Rebecca stiffened.
“You accessed it.”
“Almost.”
Samuel tapped the keyboard.
“One phrase remains.”
He looked at Rebecca.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
Samuel smiled.
“Then perhaps Hannah’s son—”
Hannah lunged.
Adrian caught her before she reached the table.
Samuel did not flinch.
“You are exactly like your mother.”
Rebecca’s eyes hardened.
“Leave her alone.”
“Phrase.”
“No.”
Samuel sighed.
Then he pressed a key.
A live camera feed appeared.
Eli.
Hannah screamed his name.
The little boy sat inside a dark vehicle.
His hands were free.
He looked frightened but unharmed.
Marcus was beside him.
Hannah stared.
Adrian’s face became stone.
Samuel smiled.
“I told you security loyalty was complicated.”
Onscreen, Marcus looked directly into the camera.
“Boss.”
Adrian said nothing.
Marcus continued.
“I’m sorry.”
Hannah grabbed the table.
“You took him?”
Marcus shook his head.
“I found him.”
“Then bring him back!”
“I can’t.”
Samuel leaned back.
“Marcus owes me.”
Adrian looked at him through the screen.
“How much?”
Marcus closed his eyes.
“Not money.”
“Then what?”
“My brother.”
Adrian remembered.
Marcus’s younger brother Anthony had served twelve years for federal racketeering charges.
Samuel had influence over evidence that could reopen the case.
Samuel spoke.
“Loyalty is rarely purchased. It is leveraged.”
Adrian stared at Marcus.
“Choose.”
Marcus’s face twisted.
Samuel laughed.
“He already did.”
Adrian looked at Hannah.
“I’m going to get Eli.”
Samuel shook his head.
“No.”
Adrian ignored him.
Samuel placed one hand on the laptop.
“If you leave, I erase everything that proves Camille owns controlling shares.”
Adrian stopped.
Camille’s inheritance.
Michael’s murder.
Richard’s poisoning.
Decades of criminal evidence.
Samuel had concentrated the entire war into one room.
Hannah spoke quietly.
“Go.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Eli matters more.”
“You’re his mother.”
“And you’re the only person in this room Samuel is actually afraid of.”
Samuel smiled.
“She learns quickly.”
Hannah stared at Adrian.
“End this.”
Adrian turned toward Samuel.
“Fine.”
He sat across from him.
“What do you really want?”
Samuel’s smile faded.
“The Vale company.”
“You could’ve built your own.”
“I did.”
“No. You lived around ours.”
Samuel’s jaw tightened.
Adrian had found the wound.
“You killed your brother because he threatened your position. You manipulated Preston. You controlled Camille from childhood. You watched Hannah from a distance. You weakened Richard.”
Samuel stood.
“I made this family survive.”
“You made everyone dependent on your secrets.”
“I kept the government from tearing us apart.”
“You kept yourself important.”
Samuel’s face reddened.
Adrian continued.
“That’s all this ever was.”
Samuel slammed his palm on the table.
“Richard stole everything from me!”
There.
The confession beneath the confession.
Adrian leaned back.
“Not Michael?”
“No.”
“Not Rebecca?”
Samuel’s eyes flicked toward her.
“You think this is about love?”
Rebecca flinched.
Hannah saw it.
Whatever feelings Samuel once claimed to have had were long dead.
Samuel continued.
“My father trusted Richard. Richard trusted Michael. Everyone treated me like the spare.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“So you murdered one brother and poisoned another because Daddy liked them better.”
Samuel reached inside his jacket.
Daniel raised his gun.
Adrian did not move.
Samuel removed a small remote.
“Careful.”
Daniel froze.
“Building alarm system,” Samuel said.
“Bomb?” Hannah whispered.
Samuel smiled.
“Insurance.”
Adrian studied him.
“You won’t use it.”
“Why?”
“You’re still sitting here.”
Samuel’s smile faded.
Adrian was right.
Then Hannah’s phone rang.
She looked down.
Marcus.
Samuel frowned.
“Don’t.”
Hannah answered.
Marcus’s voice came through.
“Mrs. Reed.”
Eli could be heard crying in the background.
“I’m bringing him to you.”
Samuel stood.
“What?”
Marcus continued.
“My brother made his choices. I’m done making mine around them.”
Samuel pressed the remote.
Nothing happened.
Daniel smiled.
“I disabled the receiver twelve minutes ago.”
Samuel stared at him.
For the first time, real panic appeared.
Adrian stood.
“It’s over.”
Samuel backed toward the window.
“No.”
Daniel moved.
Samuel pulled a hidden gun.
Rebecca shouted.
A shot fired.
Glass shattered.
Hannah ducked.
Adrian tackled Samuel against the conference table.
The gun slid away.
Samuel struck Adrian once.
Adrian barely reacted.
Years of restrained anger finally had somewhere to go.
He drove Samuel to the floor.
Then stopped.
His fist raised.
Samuel looked up.
“Do it.”
Adrian breathed hard.
“Richard would.”
That was exactly why Adrian lowered his hand.
“No.”
Police sirens sounded below.
Samuel laughed.
“You called police?”
Adrian looked down at him.
“You spent decades believing Vale power meant avoiding consequences.”
He stood.
“I’m changing the tradition.”
Daniel cuffed Samuel.
Rebecca began crying with relief.
Hannah’s phone rang again.
Video call.
Marcus.
She answered.
Eli’s face appeared.
“Mommy.”
Hannah broke.
She sank into a chair.
“I’m here, baby.”
“Mr. Marcus says we’re coming.”
“You are.”
Adrian looked at the screen.
Eli stared at him.
“Is that the not-cop man?”
For the first time in hours, Adrian laughed.
“Yes.”
Eli nodded seriously.
“Okay.”
Then Daniel looked toward Samuel’s laptop.
“Boss.”
Adrian turned.
“What?”
“The archive opened.”
Rebecca frowned.
“I never gave the phrase.”
Daniel pointed.
During the fight, Samuel had accidentally struck several keys.
But the screen did not display a password field anymore.
It displayed a message.
ACCESS AUTHORIZED: HANNAH REED.
Hannah stared.
“How?”
Daniel clicked the profile.
A biometric file appeared.
Richard had built the archive so that Rebecca’s first daughter could access it.
Adrian looked at Hannah.
“Your mother wasn’t the final key.”
Rebecca stared at the screen.
“No.”
Hannah whispered:
“I was.”
Then another folder appeared automatically.
One file.
Marked:
FOR ADRIAN AND HANNAH ONLY.
Adrian opened it.
A video loaded.
Richard Vale appeared again.
Older this time.
Sick.
May you like
And his first words were:
“If you are watching this together, then I owe both of you an apology for the worst decision I ever made.”
