Chapter 14 - The Last Man Standing
Arthur nearly killed Charles when he heard Noah had been taken.
Ruiz stopped him.
“This doesn’t help.”
Arthur turned on her.
“That boy was supposed to be protected!”
“I know!”
“No, you don’t.”
Ruiz’s face hardened.
“My partner was killed by a dirty cop eight years ago. I know exactly what it feels like when a badge protects the wrong person.”
Arthur stopped.
She continued.
“Hollis had access to the safe location. We didn’t know he still had clearance.”
Maya stood perfectly still.
“Where would he take Noah?”
Daniel answered.
“Somewhere tied to Samuel.”
Arthur turned.
“Hollis covered up my father’s murder.”
“He also received payments from Charles for eleven years.”
Daniel looked at Charles.
Charles laughed from the back of a federal vehicle.
“You think I know where Hollis went?”
Arthur walked over.
Charles smiled.
“Bring me a lawyer.”
“Maya was kidnapped. Noah was kidnapped. Your daughter is cooperating. Grant is alive. Your records are seized.”
Arthur leaned closer.
“You don’t have leverage anymore.”
Charles’s smile flickered.
“Everyone has leverage.”
Arthur whispered,
“Hollis is the last person who can make you look worse than you already do.”
Charles stared.
Arthur understood.
Charles was calculating.
Not morality.
Survival.
“If Hollis hurts Noah,” Arthur continued, “prosecutors will say your organization is still murdering witnesses.”
Charles looked toward Maya.
Then back at Arthur.
“There’s an old Vale warehouse by Pier 19.”
Ruiz heard.
“Address?”
Charles gave it.
Agents moved.
Arthur rode with Ruiz and Maya.
Daniel stayed behind.
Nobody could convince Maya to remain.
The warehouse stood beside the river.
Abandoned cranes.
Rusting containers.
Dark water.
One vehicle parked outside.
Hollis’s.
Ruiz called tactical units.
Arthur stared through binoculars.
A light glowed on the second floor.
Then a small silhouette appeared.
Noah.
His hands tied.
Arthur’s jaw clenched.
Maya whispered, “He hates the dark.”
Arthur looked at her.
“Then we get him out.”
Inside, Hollis paced.
He had spent thirty years building a reputation.
One week had destroyed it.
Noah sat against a steel column.
“You know,” Hollis said, “your sister caused all this.”
Noah glared.
“She’s smarter than you.”
Hollis laughed.
“Probably.”
“Arthur’s coming.”
“I’m counting on it.”
Noah looked toward the window.
“You’re going to kill him?”
Hollis didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
Outside, tactical officers moved toward entrances.
Then Ruiz’s radio crackled.
“Possible explosive device.”
Arthur turned.
“What?”
“Hollis wired the main entrance.”
Maya whispered, “There’s another way.”
“How?”
She pointed toward the river side.
“Old buildings like this have loading tunnels.”
Arthur stared.
“How do you know?”
“My mom used to bring us to Whitmore warehouses.”
Ruiz contacted tactical command.
A river entrance was found beneath the dock.
Arthur was told again to stay behind.
Again, he ignored that instruction.
They entered through a narrow maintenance tunnel.
Water dripped from pipes.
Maya stayed with an officer.
Arthur followed Ruiz.
They reached a staircase.
Above, Hollis’s voice echoed.
“Arthur!”
He knew.
“Come up alone!”
Ruiz whispered, “No.”
Arthur shouted, “Let Noah go!”
“Come up!”
Arthur looked at Ruiz.
She shook her head.
He climbed anyway.
At the top, Hollis stood behind Noah.
Gun aimed at Arthur.
“Drop anything you’re carrying.”
Arthur raised empty hands.
“I’m unarmed.”
“Closer.”
Arthur moved.
Noah stared at him.
Arthur smiled slightly.
“You okay?”
Noah nodded.
“Scared?”
“A little.”
“That makes two of us.”
Hollis laughed.
“Touching.”
Arthur looked at him.
“What do you want?”
“A way out.”
“You kidnapped a child.”
“I panicked.”
“Seems to be going around.”
Hollis’s face tightened.
“I want Charles’s evidence.”
“Federal agents have it.”
“Copies exist.”
“Yes.”
“Destroy them.”
“No.”
Hollis pressed the gun against Noah.
Arthur’s heart slammed.
“I said no.”
“You’d sacrifice him?”
“No.”
“Then cooperate.”
Arthur glanced toward a hanging chain behind Hollis.
Noah followed his eyes.
Arthur kept talking.
“You knew my father.”
“Yes.”
“You lied about his death.”
“Yes.”
“Did that bother you?”
“At first.”
Arthur felt disgust.
“What about Elena?”
“I wasn’t there.”
“But you covered it.”
Hollis shrugged.
Arthur said, “Charles already gave you up.”
That hit.
“No.”
“He gave us this address.”
Hollis’s face went pale.
Arthur continued.
“He chose himself.”
Hollis’s attention shifted.
Only for a second.
Noah moved.
He threw his body sideways.
Arthur lunged.
Gunshot.
Ruiz rushed from stairs.
Hollis fired again.
Arthur tackled him.
Noah crawled away.
Maya ran from behind officers.
“Noah!”
The siblings collided.
Arthur and Hollis struggled near the edge of the loading platform.
Hollis slipped.
His body went over the rail.
Arthur caught his wrist.
Hollis dangled above the concrete floor twenty feet below.
He stared up.
“Pull me!”
Arthur looked at the man who helped bury his father’s murder.
Then Arthur pulled.
Ruiz grabbed Hollis’s other arm.
Together they dragged him up.
Hollis collapsed.
Agents cuffed him.
He stared at Arthur.
“Why?”
Arthur looked toward Maya and Noah.
“Because they were watching.”
For once, Arthur knew exactly what kind of man he wanted them to see.
Outside, dawn began breaking over the river.
The nightmare was almost over.
May you like
But one decision still remained.
Victoria.
