Chapter 9 - THE SECOND THIEF
Daniel attacked the keyboard.
The transfer continued.
Twenty-three percent.
Twenty-seven.
Thirty-one.
“I can’t stop it.”
Roman looked at Julian.
“Who else knew about the ledger?”
Julian shook his head.
“Valentina.”
“Viktor.”
“Elena.”
“Daniel.”
“And you.”
Daniel looked at Maya’s old phone.
“No.”
“One more person knew.”
Sarah’s voice suddenly came through the phone.
“Maya?”
Maya grabbed it.
“Mom!”
“I’m safe.”
“I locked Elena inside the elevator control room.”
“Where are you?”
“Under the cellar.”
Sarah’s breath caught.
“Daniel?”
Maya turned the phone.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Sarah.”
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Sarah started crying.
“You’re alive.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re alive.”
The transfer reached forty percent.
Daniel forced himself away from the phone.
“Sarah, listen.”
“Who gave Maya the emergency phone?”
“You did.”
“No.”
Sarah’s answer came slowly.
“It was left outside our apartment last year.”
“There was no note.”
Daniel looked at Roman.
“That phone was planted.”
Maya stared at the cracked device.
The unknown messages.
The accidental voicemail.
The location tag.
None of it had been accidental.
Roman took the phone from her.
“Whoever planted this wanted Maya here.”
Julian’s expression changed.
“They wanted her to unlock the ledger.”
Daniel nodded.
“Elena thought she was stealing it for Valentina.”
“Valentina thought she was taking control.”
“But someone else used them both.”
The transfer reached fifty-two percent.
Roman examined the phone.
A small symbol flashed in the upper corner.
A white crown.
Julian stepped backward.
“No.”
Roman looked at him.
“You recognize it.”
Julian’s mouth tightened.
“The Crown Network.”
Daniel’s face went gray.
“I destroyed them.”
“You damaged them,” Julian said.
“They buy secrets.”
“They sell governments.”
“They don’t need the money in the ledger.”
“They need the names.”
Maya looked at the transfer bar.
“Can we unplug it?”
Daniel shook his head.
“The server has its own power source.”
“Destroying it could trigger the release of every file.”
“To everyone?”
“To the entire internet.”
Roman stared at the names filling the screen.
Judges.
Police officers.
Witnesses.
Victims.
Some were guilty.
Some were innocent people being blackmailed.
Releasing everything would destroy thousands of lives.
The transfer reached sixty percent.
Viktor groaned from the hallway.
He had regained consciousness.
He looked at the white crown symbol.
Fear crossed his face.
“They’re here.”
Roman turned.
“Who?”
“The Crown’s extraction team.”
Gunfire erupted above them.
The sound traveled through the ceiling.
Sarah screamed through the phone.
“They’re inside the mansion!”
Roman spoke quickly.
“Lock yourself in the control room.”
“There’s someone at the door.”
“Sarah, do not open it.”
The line went silent.
Maya called her mother’s name.
No answer came.
The transfer reached seventy percent.
Roman handed Maya to Daniel.
“Keep her here.”
“Where are you going?”
“To get Sarah.”
Daniel caught his arm.
“The estate is full of armed men.”
Roman looked at him.
“So was every room I entered for the last twenty years.”
He turned toward Julian.
“You know the service tunnels.”
Julian nodded.
They ran toward the stairs.
Viktor tried to rise.
Roman stopped beside him.
“You killed Daniel.”
Viktor looked down.
“Yes.”
“You betrayed me.”
“Yes.”
Roman picked up Viktor’s gun.
“Then earn one honest moment.”
He placed it in Viktor’s hand.
“Protect Maya.”
Roman disappeared into the tunnel.
The transfer reached eighty percent.
Maya looked at Viktor.
He stared back at her.
Then he raised the gun.
But not toward the door.
May you like
He pointed it at Daniel.
“Step away from the console.”
