Chapter 5 - THE BROTHER'S SECRET
Dominic woke twelve hours later.
I was asleep beside him.
When I opened my eyes, he was watching me.
“You stayed.”
“You're surprised?”
“People usually leave.”
“So do mine.”
Neither of us spoke.
Then Dominic reached for my hand.
It wasn't romantic.
Not yet.
It was two people recognizing the same wound.
Marcus interrupted us with news.
Gabriel had maintained a secret apartment in Cambridge.
Inside we found files proving Samuel's story was partly true.
Gabriel had discovered JANUS.
But he had never worked for Samuel willingly.
He had infiltrated Samuel's organization.
His final recording was addressed to Dominic.
“Dom, if you're watching this, I probably failed.”
Dominic turned pale.
Gabriel explained that someone inside Vale Maritime had been selling access to Samuel.
Not Adrian.
Someone closer.
Someone Dominic trusted completely.
The recording ended before Gabriel named them.
Then we found a photograph.
Marcus Shaw shaking Samuel Bennett's hand.
Dominic stared.
Marcus slowly removed his gun and placed it on the table.
“I can explain.”
Dominic hit him.
Hard.
Marcus didn't fight back.
“You sold me?”
“No.”
“Gabriel is dead!”
“I was helping him.”
Dominic stopped.
Marcus revealed that Gabriel had recruited him.
Together they investigated Samuel.
But the night of the attack, Marcus had been fed false coordinates.
Someone used his credentials.
Just as someone later used mine.
JANUS wasn't merely gathering information.
It was impersonating people.
Creating perfect digital trails.
Samuel's greatest weapon wasn't knowing secrets.
It was destroying trust.
Dominic finally understood.
Samuel wanted us suspicious of everyone.
Especially each other.
Then Adrian called.
Vale Maritime's board had voted to remove Dominic permanently.
Adrian now controlled the company.
Dominic smiled.
I knew that smile.
“What?”
“He thinks I care about the company.”
“You don't?”
“I cared because Gabriel did.”
Dominic walked to the fireplace.
“Let Adrian have it.”
Marcus stared.
“Sir?”
“We're going after Samuel.”
That decision changed everything.
Dominic publicly resigned.
Boston's newspapers called him defeated.
Vale Maritime stock surged.
Adrian celebrated.
Samuel relaxed.
And Dominic disappeared.
We moved to a small house in Maine that had belonged to Gabriel.
No staff.
No marble floors.
No bodyguards except Marcus.
For three weeks, we lived like ordinary people while building a case.
Dominic cooked terribly.
I discovered he couldn't operate a washing machine.
He discovered I sang when nervous.
At night we worked through Gabriel's files.
During the day Dominic regained strength.
Something changed between us.
It happened slowly.
A hand touching too long.
A glance across the kitchen.
One evening snow fell outside.
The power flickered.
Dominic looked at me.
“You know what I remember most from the coma?”
“My voice?”
“One word.”
Stay.
He stepped closer.
“Why did you say it?”
I swallowed.
“Because everyone else talked about you like you were already dead.”
“And you?”
“I wasn't ready to let you go.”
“You didn't know me.”
“No.”
He touched my cheek.
“You do now.”
Then he kissed me.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Nothing like the dangerous man Boston imagined.
When we separated, I whispered, “That was probably medically irresponsible.”
“Write me up.”
I laughed.
Then a red laser appeared on Dominic's chest.
“Down!”
The window shattered.
We hit the floor.
Marcus returned fire from outside.
The shooter disappeared.
But he left something behind.
A phone.
One video.
Samuel appeared on-screen.
“Enough games.”
Behind him sat Adrian Vale.
Bound to a chair.
Bleeding.
Samuel smiled.
“Bring me Claire.”
Then he looked directly into the camera.
May you like
“Or your cousin dies at midnight.”
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