Chapter 13 - The Last Order
Victor Dane entered the freight terminal with fourteen armed men.
He did not know Adrian’s team was already inside.
That was his first mistake.
His second was believing Giovanni still controlled the room.
Victor walked through the warehouse doors.
Tall.
Gray-haired.
Calm.
He looked at Giovanni.
“Sir.”
Giovanni stood.
“You took your time.”
Victor glanced at Marco.
Then Henry.
Then Julian.
Then Elena.
Finally Camila.
His expression changed.
“You.”
Camila smiled without warmth.
“Hello, Victor.”
Victor raised his gun.
Julian stepped in front of her.
“Put it down.”
Victor looked almost amused.
“You have no idea who you’re protecting.”
Julian stared back.
“My sister.”
Victor’s face changed.
Not much.
But enough.
Giovanni closed his eyes.
Marco laughed from the floor.
“Family reunion.”
Victor looked at Giovanni.
“You told him?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Camila lifted the chip.
“I did.”
Victor’s expression hardened.
“Give me that.”
“No.”
Victor raised his gun.
Then a red laser dot appeared on his chest.
Another appeared on his shoulder.
Another on his forehead.
Victor froze.
Adrian’s voice echoed from above.
“Drop it.”
Julian looked toward the catwalk.
Adrian stood behind the railing.
Three men beside him.
More appeared near the loading doors.
Victor’s team turned.
Weapons rose.
Adrian shouted.
“Nobody fire.”
For three seconds, the warehouse became a room full of loaded decisions.
Then Giovanni spoke.
“Victor.”
Victor looked at him.
“Stand down.”
Victor laughed.
Julian had never heard him laugh before.
“No.”
Giovanni stared.
“What?”
Victor lowered his weapon slightly.
“You’re finished.”
Silence.
Giovanni’s face became unreadable.
Victor continued.
“The accounts are exposed.”
“Bellweather is compromised.”
“Marco failed.”
“Camila has the records.”
“And Julian knows.”
Giovanni tightened his grip on his cane.
“You work for me.”
Victor smiled.
“I worked for your survival.”
“There’s a difference.”
Julian watched Giovanni finally experience the thing he had spent his life avoiding.
Loss of control.
Victor looked at his men.
“Take the chip.”
Adrian’s rifle clicked.
“Try it.”
Victor stopped.
Camila spoke.
“You know what’s funny?”
Victor looked at her.
“You burned my mother alive because Giovanni told you she had evidence.”
“Yes.”
Julian’s fists tightened.
Camila continued.
“But you never found it.”
“No.”
“Because she gave it to someone else before the fire.”
Victor’s face changed.
Henry looked at Camila.
“What?”
Camila smiled.
“The chip isn’t only Elena’s files.”
Julian understood.
“It contains Mother’s evidence too.”
Camila nodded.
“Everything.”
“Original account ledgers.”
“Audio recordings.”
“Payments.”
“Names.”
“Victor’s orders.”
Giovanni looked at the chip.
For the first time, real fear crossed his face.
Camila watched him.
“You spent twelve years trying to bury a dead woman.”
“She was smarter than all of you.”
Victor suddenly raised his gun.
Not at Camila.
At Giovanni.
Everyone froze.
Giovanni stared at him.
Victor’s voice was cold.
“You should have destroyed the network when she died.”
Giovanni’s face tightened.
“You were paid to protect it.”
“I was paid to protect myself.”
Then Victor fired.
Julian moved before he thought.
He slammed into his father.
The bullet struck Giovanni’s shoulder instead of his chest.
Chaos erupted.
Gunfire exploded.
Adrian’s team fired from the catwalk.
Victor’s men scattered behind containers.
Elena dropped behind the control console.
Camila grabbed her.
“Stay down.”
Julian dragged Giovanni behind a steel pillar.
“Why did you save me?”
Giovanni gasped.
Julian stared at him.
“I don’t know.”
Then he ran.
Victor was moving toward Camila.
Julian tackled him.
They hit the concrete.
Victor was stronger than Julian remembered.
He drove an elbow into Julian’s ribs.
Julian rolled.
Victor reached for his gun.
Julian kicked it away.
Victor punched him.
Once.
Twice.
Blood filled Julian’s mouth.
“You should have stayed ignorant.”
Victor grabbed Julian’s throat.
“Your mother could have lived.”
Julian’s eyes hardened.
Victor smiled.
“If she had learned when to shut up.”
Julian drove his forehead into Victor’s nose.
Bone cracked.
Victor fell backward.
Julian rose.
Victor laughed through blood.
“You think exposing this changes anything?”
Julian stood over him.
“It changes enough.”
“There will always be another network.”
“Maybe.”
Julian looked toward Elena.
She crouched beside Camila.
One hand over her stomach.
Alive.
Julian looked back at Victor.
“But this one ends today.”
Adrian’s men closed in.
Victor reached inside his coat.
Julian shouted.
“Gun!”
A shot rang out.
Victor froze.
Then collapsed.
Marco stood behind him.
Smoke rose from the pistol in his hand.
Julian stared at his brother.
Marco slowly lowered the weapon.
“You’re welcome.”
Then he dropped the gun.
Adrian’s men restrained him.
The fighting stopped.
One by one, Victor’s surviving men surrendered.
Julian walked toward Elena.
She rose slowly.
He touched her face.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“The baby?”
She placed his hand against her stomach.
A kick.
Julian closed his eyes.
Then Elena suddenly gasped.
Julian opened them.
“What?”
She looked down.
Liquid spread across the concrete beneath her.
Camila’s eyes widened.
Elena whispered.
“Oh no.”
Julian stared.
“What?”
May you like
Elena grabbed his arm.
“The baby is coming.”
