Chapter 15 - THE FALL
Konstantin screamed.
He rushed toward the railing.
The vial disappeared beneath the waves.
Valentina stared at her smoking gun.
She had missed Maya.
The bullet had struck Julian.
He fell against the deck.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Roman tackled Valentina.
Her weapon skidded away.
Konstantin grabbed Maya by the arm.
Daniel attacked him.
The two men crashed into the railing.
Sarah pulled Maya free.
Guards surrounded them.
Roman held Valentina by the throat.
“Order them back.”
She laughed.
“They answer to him.”
Konstantin struck Daniel across the face.
Daniel fell.
Irina picked up Valentina’s gun.
“Enough.”
Everyone stopped.
She aimed at Konstantin.
He looked at her.
“You never could shoot me.”
“I should have done it forty years ago.”
Konstantin smiled.
“But you did not.”
His hand moved toward his coat.
Irina fired.
The bullet struck the deck beside his shoe.
“Next one won’t miss.”
Roman took Valentina’s weapon.
Sarah helped Daniel stand.
Julian groaned near the stairs.
Maya ran to him.
Sarah caught her.
“He was shot.”
“He may still be working for them.”
“He saved us in the tunnel.”
Julian looked up.
His face was gray.
“The charter.”
Roman opened the black book.
Several pages had been cut out.
Konstantin laughed.
“You thought I needed the entire document?”
“The missing pages contain the access code.”
Irina’s face changed.
“Where are they?”
Konstantin looked toward Julian.
Everyone followed his gaze.
Julian smiled weakly.
“I took them.”
Valentina’s expression filled with hatred.
“You?”
“I stopped being your servant years ago.”
Julian pulled folded black pages from inside his shirt.
The bullet had struck the metal document case hidden beneath them.
He was bleeding.
But the wound was not fatal.
Konstantin stepped forward.
“Give them to me.”
Julian tore one page in half.
Konstantin froze.
“You spent decades controlling everyone with secrets.”
Julian tore another piece.
“Now you get to watch yours disappear.”
Konstantin lifted his hand.
The yacht guards aimed at Julian.
Maya stepped between them.
“Don’t.”
Roman pulled her back.
Konstantin looked at the guards.
“Kill him.”
No one fired.
Konstantin’s face darkened.
Roman looked around.
The yacht guards lowered their weapons one by one.
Lena’s voice came through the deck speakers.
“The Crown accounts are frozen.”
“Your payment network is gone.”
Konstantin turned toward the control room.
FBI agents appeared behind the glass.
Helicopter lights swept across the yacht.
Lena continued.
“The Black Ledger transfer is complete.”
“Filtered evidence has been delivered to authorities in twelve countries.”
Valentina stared at Roman.
“You allowed this?”
Roman looked at her.
“You built an empire beneath my feet.”
“I burned it.”
Konstantin grabbed Maya.
He pulled her against his chest.
A small knife appeared at her throat.
Everyone froze.
“You have not won.”
Maya stared at the water.
The yacht moved slowly through the fog.
Roman’s face became deadly still.
“Release her.”
Konstantin dragged Maya toward the railing.
“Bring me the pages.”
Julian held them over a deck flame.
“Let her go.”
Konstantin tightened his grip.
Maya remembered her mother’s lessons.
Do not fight strength with strength.
Attack balance.
She stepped backward onto Konstantin’s foot.
Then she dropped her full weight.
Konstantin stumbled.
Roman lunged.
Maya slipped free.
Konstantin crashed through the damaged railing.
He caught the edge with one hand.
Roman grabbed his wrist.
Konstantin hung above the dark water.
He looked up at his son.
“Pull me up.”
Roman stared down at him.
For the first time, Konstantin looked old.
Weak.
Terrified.
“Roman.”
“I am your father.”
Roman tightened his grip.
Then Valentina rushed forward.
She struck Roman from behind.
His hand slipped.
Konstantin fell.
But he did not hit the water.
A rope caught around his ankle.
He hung upside down against the side of the yacht.
Still alive.
May you like
Still screaming.
And Valentina now held a gun against Roman’s back.
