Chapter 9
Julian collapsed beside the stone wall.
Thomas Vale kept the gun trained on Claire.
Vanessa pulled herself upright, smiling through the pain.
“You were always more useful than you looked, Thomas.”
Thomas ignored her.
He tossed a small recorder toward Claire.
“Play it.”
Claire picked it up without lowering her pistol.
A man’s voice came through the speaker.
Julian’s voice.
“Michael Dawson is compromised. Remove him before the Whitmores realize he copied the accounts.”
Another voice asked, “What about his wife and child?”
Julian replied, “Keep them close until we know what they have.”
The recording ended.
Claire felt cold.
She looked at Julian.
“Is that your voice?”
“Yes.”
Michael tried to crawl toward her.
“Claire, recordings can be cut.”
“Were those your words?” she asked Julian.
“Yes.”
“Why did you order Michael removed?”
“Because he had agreed to sell the archive to three different organizations.”
Michael shouted, “I was buying time!”
Julian’s eyes stayed on Claire.
“I believed he had become a threat to you.”
“So you faked his death.”
“I ordered him placed in a secure location. Thomas changed the transport route.”
Thomas laughed.
“You gave the order. I only made it useful.”
Julian’s gaze hardened.
“You delivered him to Vanessa.”
“And she paid better.”
Vanessa looked toward Emma.
“Enough history. Bring me the child.”
Thomas aimed at Helen.
“Give Vanessa Emma or your mother dies.”
Claire stood between every weapon and her daughter.
The housekeeper’s uniform was torn. Blood marked one sleeve. The red print from Vanessa’s slap still burned across her cheek.
Yet she no longer felt humiliated.
Everyone in the room had underestimated her because she cleaned their tables, carried their glasses, and entered through service doors.
That blindness was the only advantage she had left.
Claire looked at Julian.
“Can you stand?”
“Not well.”
“Michael?”
He shook his head.
Helen held Emma and the remote.
Claire turned toward Thomas.
“You want the archive.”
“I want the original command chip inside the elephant.”
Claire nodded slowly.
“Then take it.”
She held out the toy.
Thomas stepped closer.
Emma began to protest, but Helen whispered into her ear.
Claire waited until Thomas reached for the elephant.
Then she pulled the toy apart.
A cloud of white powder burst into his face.
Thomas screamed and fired blindly.
Claire dropped.
Julian shot him from the floor.
Thomas struck the wall and slid down, gasping.
Vanessa ran toward the open passage.
Michael caught her ankle.
She kicked him repeatedly, but he held on long enough for Claire to reach her.
Claire seized Vanessa’s diamond necklace and pulled her backward.
The clasp snapped.
A tiny transmitter fell from the necklace.
Helen stared at it.
“She was never controlling the bracelets.”
Vanessa froze.
“The signal came from somewhere outside the mansion,” Helen continued. “This only relayed commands.”
Julian forced himself upright.
“Who has the master control?”
Vanessa smiled through tears of pain.
“You still think tonight was my plan.”
Sirens approached the estate.
Red and blue lights appeared beyond the sealed windows.
Claire felt relief for only a second.
Vanessa looked toward the ceiling.
“My father does not control the archive. He was promised access by the person who does.”
“Who?” Claire demanded.
The steel shutters began rising.
Julian’s guards had not released them.
Outside, dozens of federal vehicles surrounded the mansion.
Vanessa’s smile widened.
“The person who ordered Julian to hire you.”
A voice came through the mansion’s speaker system.
“Claire Dawson, place your weapon on the floor and step away from Julian Mercer.”
Claire recognized the voice.
May you like
It belonged to her father.
Continue to the next part: Claire’s father arrives with federal agents and accuses Julian of kidnapping her entire family.
