Chapter 6 - THE TRAITOR WHO WASN'T
Dominic wanted to let Adrian die.
At least that was what he said.
“He stole your company.”
“He can keep it.”
“He betrayed you.”
“Yes.”
“He's still family.”
Dominic looked at me.
“That argument has caused more suffering than almost any sentence in human history.”
He was right.
But at 11:20 p.m., we went anyway.
Samuel had chosen Vale Maritime's oldest shipyard.
Dominic arrived alone.
Or appeared to.
Marcus and I entered through drainage tunnels.
Samuel had underestimated nurses.
We spend half our lives finding ways into places we're told not to enter.
Adrian was tied inside a warehouse.
Samuel stood beside him.
“Where is Claire?”
Dominic spread his hands.
“Not here.”
Samuel sighed.
“You're emotionally attached.”
“Apparently.”
“That makes you predictable.”
Dominic smiled.
“So does arrogance.”
Lights exploded.
Marcus killed the power.
Dominic attacked.
I reached Adrian.
Then Adrian whispered, “Don't untie me.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Bomb.”
A pressure device sat beneath his chair.
If he stood, it detonated.
Samuel had never expected us to save him.
He expected Dominic to watch another family member die.
I examined the mechanism.
“Claire.”
Adrian looked terrified.
“I treated you horribly.”
“Yes.”
“I helped remove Dominic.”
“Yes.”
“I thought Samuel would protect the company.”
My hands stopped.
“You worked with him?”
“Business only. I didn't know about Gabriel.”
“You helped Samuel?”
“I thought Dominic was destroying everything.”
His voice broke.
“I was wrong.”
We had four minutes.
I found the pressure sensor.
No tools.
Then I remembered my trauma kit.
A saline bag weighed almost exactly one kilogram.
Adrian weighed considerably more.
But pressure didn't need his entire weight.
Only enough to keep the switch compressed.
We slid the bag beneath the plate while Adrian slowly lifted himself.
The timer stopped.
We ran.
Outside, gunfire continued.
Samuel escaped again.
Dominic emerged with blood on his face.
He saw Adrian.
His expression hardened.
Adrian approached.
“I helped him.”
Dominic said nothing.
“I gave Samuel shipping access.”
Still nothing.
“I didn't know he planned the shooting.”
“You expect me to believe you?”
“No.”
Adrian looked down.
“I expect you to hate me.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“My brother died because you wanted my chair.”
Adrian's eyes filled.
“Yes.”
Dominic could have killed him.
Instead he walked away.
That was the moment I knew Dominic was changing.
Not becoming weak.
Becoming free.
The following morning Adrian gave federal prosecutors everything.
Financial records.
Port access.
Names.
Samuel's network began collapsing.
But Samuel still possessed JANUS.
And he still needed me.
Three nights later, I disappeared.
Dominic found my room empty.
On the pillow lay my phone.
And a handwritten note.
Don't follow me.
I had gone willingly.
Because Samuel had sent me something Dominic hadn't seen.
A photograph of Rebecca Bennett.
Taken yesterday.
May you like
My mother was alive.
---
