Chapter 9 - THE VAULT BENEATH THE ESTATE
The tunnel descended beneath the mansion.
Old stone surrounded us.
My grandfather had built the passage decades earlier.
At the end stood a steel door.
No handle.
Only a narrow slot.
I inserted the key.
Nothing happened.
Then the wall beside us illuminated.
A scanner.
My name appeared.
CLAIRE ELIZABETH BENNETT.
My father stared.
“He planned this.”
I placed my hand against the scanner.
The vault opened.
Inside wasn't money.
It wasn't jewelry.
It wasn't gold.
It was information.
Shelves filled with files.
Servers.
Photographs.
Recordings.
Decades of secrets.
My grandfather hadn't built a vault for wealth.
He had built one for leverage.
Marcus activated the central terminal.
A video appeared.
Thomas Bennett filled the screen.
My grandfather.
Alive.
Older than I remembered.
Tired.
He looked directly into the camera.
“If Claire is watching this, then I failed.”
My eyes burned.
Dad lowered his head.
Thomas continued.
“The men surrounding our family believe money is power.”
“They are wrong.”
“Information is power.”
“Truth is power.”
“And truth becomes most dangerous when powerful people believe they have buried it.”
The screen changed.
Names appeared.
Politicians.
Judges.
Executives.
Police commissioners.
Media owners.
Bankers.
Then one name appeared that made my father stumble backward.
RICHARD BENNETT.
I looked at him.
“Dad?”
His face went white.
“No.”
The video continued.
My grandfather's voice filled the vault.
“My son Richard does not know what I have done in his name.”
Dad closed his eyes.
“He will inherit enemies he never created.”
My breathing returned.
Then another name appeared.
DANIEL CROSS.
Cross stared at the screen.
Thomas continued.
“Daniel believes he is protecting this family.”
“He is not.”
Cross's face hardened.
“He is protecting the system.”
I turned toward him.
Cross reached inside his jacket.
Marcus raised his weapon.
“Don't.”
Cross froze.
Thomas's recorded voice continued.
“If Daniel is present when this archive opens…”
A pause.
“…do not trust him.”
Cross moved.
Marcus fired.
The bullet struck Cross's shoulder.
He fell.
Malcolm shouted.
Cross drew a gun with his other hand.
Another shot exploded.
The lights went out.
Darkness.
Someone grabbed me.
I screamed.
My father shouted my name.
Then I felt myself being dragged backward.
Through another doorway.
The bracelet key was ripped from my hand.
Emergency lights flickered on.
Cross was gone.
And so was Malcolm.
On the floor…
A trail of blood disappeared into the darkness.
Then my father's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Cross's voice came through.
“I have the key.”
Dad stared at me.
Cross continued.
“And I have Senator Holloway.”
A pause.
“But neither of them is what I actually need.”
I grabbed the phone.
“What do you want?”
May you like
Cross laughed softly.
“You, Claire.”
