Chapter 11 - THE TRAITOR
Lucas stared at Sarah.
The gun pressed against the back of his head.
A male voice said, “Put the letter down.”
Agent Marcus Hale stood behind him.
Lucas’s stomach dropped.
“You?”
Hale smiled.
“People always trust the badge.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“I knew there was a leak.”
Hale laughed.
“No. You suspected everyone except the right person.”
Lucas slowly placed Rachel’s letter on the table.
“You helped kill her.”
“I gave Charles the safe-house location.”
“Why?”
“Money.”
Sarah spat, “You murdered a protected witness for money.”
“I supplied an address.”
“You knew what would happen.”
Hale shrugged.
Lucas watched his reflection in the window.
Hale was close.
Too close.
Lucas spoke calmly.
“Vanessa works for you?”
“She works for herself.”
“Where is she?”
“On her way out of the country.”
Lucas nodded.
“What does she still need?”
“The box.”
“Why?”
Hale smiled.
“Because Rachel’s flash drive has enough evidence to put some very important people in prison.”
“Charles already has bigger problems.”
“Charles is disposable.”
Sarah’s expression changed.
“You’re protecting someone above him.”
Hale’s smile disappeared.
Lucas realized it too.
“Who?”
Hale raised the gun slightly.
“You don’t get to know.”
Lucas moved.
He spun and slammed his forearm into Hale’s wrist.
The gun fired.
Sarah ducked.
Lucas tackled Hale into the wall.
Hale hit him hard in the ribs.
Lucas fell.
Hale aimed.
Sarah threw a lamp.
The gunshot missed Lucas by inches.
Lucas surged forward and drove Hale through a glass coffee table.
Sarah grabbed the weapon.
“Don’t move!”
Hale lay bleeding among broken glass.
Local police arrived minutes later.
Sarah had secretly triggered an alarm before Lucas entered.
Hale was arrested.
But Vanessa remained free.
Lucas returned home immediately.
Emma ran into his arms.
“Daddy!”
He held her for a long time.
That night, Lucas told her a careful version of the truth.
“Mommy loved you more than anything.”
“Did she really survive?”
“For a while.”
Emma cried.
Lucas cried too.
They held each other until Emma fell asleep.
At 2:13 a.m., Lucas’s phone buzzed.
A security alert.
Someone had entered his house.
Lucas looked at the camera feed.
Vanessa.
May you like
She was inside.
Standing in Emma’s bedroom.
