Chapter 14 - THE MOUNTAIN ROAD
Julian knew it was a trap.
He went anyway.
But this time he didn’t go alone.
Federal agents followed at a distance.
Martha wanted to come.
Julian refused.
She argued for ten minutes.
Then Rachel locked her bedroom door from the outside.
Martha shouted through it:
“Rachel Pierce, I will fire you!”
Rachel shouted back:
“You retired me four years ago!”
Julian almost smiled.
Then he drove toward the mountain.
The road curved above a deep ravine.
Same place.
Same cliff.
Same place Charles Hale had died eighteen years earlier.
Evelyn waited beside an old stone barrier.
No weapon visible.
Julian stepped from the car.
“You wanted me.”
“I wanted closure.”
“You wanted money.”
“That too.”
He stopped twenty feet away.
“Adrian is in custody.”
“He was always weak.”
“Bianca is cooperating.”
Evelyn’s expression finally changed.
“My daughter is confused.”
“She chose.”
“She betrayed me.”
“She became like you because you taught her to.”
Evelyn laughed.
“You think you understand her?”
“No.”
Julian looked at the cliff.
“I barely knew her.”
“That’s true.”
“Did she ever love me?”
Evelyn studied him.
“Yes.”
Julian hadn’t expected that.
“She fought it,” Evelyn continued.
“She hated herself for it.”
“Then why keep going?”
“Because love does not erase ambition.”
“Or cowardice.”
Evelyn smiled.
“Your father said things like that.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“You killed him.”
“Victor killed him.”
“You set it up.”
“Yes.”
The word landed without emotion.
Julian took one step.
“Why?”
“Because Charles would have destroyed everything.”
“You destroyed him first.”
Evelyn sighed.
“Men like your father always believe confession makes them clean.”
“He tried to fix what he did.”
“He was still guilty.”
Julian nodded.
“Yes.”
That surprised her.
“My father wasn’t perfect.”
Julian continued.
“He looked away when money was coming in.”
Evelyn watched carefully.
“He made excuses.”
“Yes.”
“He benefited.”
“Yes.”
“And you still worship him.”
“No.”
Julian shook his head.
“I love him.”
A pause.
“That isn’t the same thing.”
For the first time, Evelyn seemed unsettled.
Julian continued.
“He did wrong.”
“He tried to repair it.”
“And that makes him better than you.”
Evelyn’s eyes turned cold.
“You came here to lecture me?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“To give you one chance.”
“To do what?”
“Surrender.”
Evelyn laughed.
Then she pulled a pistol from beneath her coat.
“Your father offered me the same thing.”
Julian didn’t move.
“You know federal agents are nearby.”
“Yes.”
“Then why do this?”
“Because I won’t spend twenty years in a cage.”
“You’d rather die?”
“I’d rather decide.”
She raised the weapon.
Then headlights appeared behind Julian.
A car raced toward them.
It stopped hard.
Bianca stepped out.
Julian stared.
“What are you doing here?”
She was still pale from surgery.
One hand pressed her side.
Evelyn smiled.
“My daughter.”
Bianca looked at Julian.
“I heard where you were going.”
“You’re supposed to be under guard.”
“I’ve always been good at leaving places.”
Evelyn pointed the gun at her.
“You chose him.”
Bianca shook her head.
“No.”
Julian frowned.
Bianca continued.
“I chose not to become you.”
Evelyn’s face twisted.
“I gave you everything.”
“You gave me fear.”
“I made you strong.”
“You made me cruel.”
“You survived.”
Bianca’s eyes filled.
“I don’t want to survive like you.”
Evelyn raised the gun.
Julian moved.
Bianca shouted:
“No!”
A shot exploded.
Julian hit the pavement.
For one terrible second, nobody moved.
Then Evelyn staggered.
Blood appeared across her chest.
Behind her stood Martha Hale.
Holding an antique revolver with both hands.
Julian stared.
“Mom?”
Martha was breathing hard.
“You locked me in my bedroom.”
Rachel appeared beside the car.
“I unlocked her.”
Julian stared at Rachel.
“Why?”
Rachel shrugged.
“She threatened to climb out the window.”
Evelyn dropped to her knees.
Her gun slid away.
Bianca ran toward her.
“Mom.”
Evelyn looked up at her daughter.
“Don’t.”
Bianca stopped.
Evelyn whispered:
“Don’t pity me.”
“I don’t.”
Evelyn smiled faintly.
“Good.”
Sirens screamed up the mountain.
Federal agents surrounded them.
Evelyn survived.
Barely.
As paramedics carried her away, she looked at Julian.
“Your father thought he won too.”
Julian said:
“He did.”
She smiled.
“Then you still haven’t found the last secret.”
Julian froze.
“What secret?”
May you like
Evelyn closed her eyes.
And said nothing.
