Chapter 13 - ONE LAST SHOT
Harlan’s face changed.
“Adrian.”
Knox pushed Daniel forward.
“Put the rifle down, Thomas.”
Harlan did not move.
Knox pressed the pistol harder against Daniel’s neck.
“Don’t make your grandson watch me kill his father.”
Harlan slowly lowered the weapon.
Eli glanced at the upload screen.
89%.
Knox noticed.
He fired at the computer.
The screen exploded.
“No!” Eli shouted.
Smoke rose from the terminal.
Knox smiled.
“All this trouble over files.”
Daniel looked at the ruined computer.
Then at Eli.
Eli understood.
The chip.
He had removed it automatically when Knox entered.
It was still in his hand.
Knox didn’t know.
“Where is it?” Knox asked.
Harlan shrugged.
“You just shot it.”
Knox studied him.
“You were always a terrible liar.”
He looked at Eli.
“But children?”
Knox walked closer.
“Children tell the truth with their faces.”
Eli stared back.
Knox’s eyes dropped to his closed fist.
“There it is.”
Eli ran.
Knox swung the pistol toward him.
Daniel struck Knox’s arm.
A shot exploded.
Harlan tackled one of Knox’s guards entering behind him.
Daniel and Knox crashed across the floor.
The chip slipped from Eli’s fingers.
It skidded beneath a steel cabinet.
Knox saw it.
So did Daniel.
Knox kicked Daniel in the ribs and reached for the chip.
Eli spotted the rifle lying outside the door.
He dove for it.
Behind him, Knox grabbed the chip.
“Got it.”
Then Knox raised his pistol at Daniel.
Eli lifted the rifle.
Daniel shouted, “Eli, no!”
Knox turned.
The distance was less than thirty yards.
Easy on a paper target.
Impossible when your father was on the floor beside the man you had to stop.
Eli’s hands trembled.
He heard Marcus laughing at the range.
Brass Boy.
He heard his father years earlier.
Never shoot angry.
Anger makes the target bigger and everything else disappear.
Eli breathed.
Knox smiled.
“You won’t do it.”
Eli looked through the sight.
He didn’t aim at Knox.
He aimed above him.
BOOM!
The bullet struck the metal support holding a heavy communications panel.
The rusted bracket snapped.
The panel dropped.
Knox jumped sideways.
His pistol skidded across the floor.
Daniel slammed into him.
Harlan kicked the weapon away.
Knox hit the ground hard.
Eli lowered the rifle.
Daniel stared at his son.
“You missed.”
Eli shook his head.
“No, I didn’t.”
For the first time that day, Daniel laughed.
Knox crawled toward the dropped chip.
Harlan stepped on his hand.
“No.”
Knox looked up at his oldest friend.
“Thomas. Think about what you’re doing.”
Harlan’s face became stone.
“I’ve been thinking about it for twelve years.”
Sirens echoed faintly in the valley.
Knox smiled.
“You think those people are coming for me?”
Harlan looked toward the broken terminal.
The upload had failed.
Knox laughed.
“You have no idea how high this goes.”
Then Eli’s phone vibrated.
Everyone looked at him.
One message appeared.
UPLOAD COMPLETE.
Eli smiled.
“The terminal had Wi-Fi.”
Daniel stared.
“You transferred the files?”
“Before he shot it.”
“To who?”
Eli held up the phone.
“Everybody on Dad’s emergency list.”
Knox’s smile vanished.
Then Daniel’s phone began ringing.
Harlan’s too.
News alerts appeared almost immediately.
The evidence was out.
Knox stared at Eli with naked hatred.
“You stupid little kid.”
May you like
Eli looked at him calmly.
“You should’ve let me collect my brass.”
