Chapter 12 - NO PLACE TO HIDE
Daniel stepped in front of Sophie.
Evan raised the gun.
“Move.”
Daniel didn’t.
Evan’s hand shook.
That scared Sophie more than if it had been steady.
A nervous man with a gun was worse than a confident one.
“You don’t want to do this,” Sophie said.
Evan laughed.
“You people always say that.”
“What did Victor promise you?”
“Enough.”
“He leaves everyone behind.”
“Shut up.”
“He left Carter exposed.”
“Shut up.”
“He left Thomas exposed.”
Evan’s jaw tightened.
“He’ll leave you too.”
“I said shut up!”
The gun moved toward Sophie.
Daniel watched the barrel.
Sophie watched Evan’s eyes.
“Did he tell you my father destroyed your life?”
Evan froze.
There.
She had guessed right.
Victor never bought loyalty with money alone.
He bought it with resentment.
“My brother died in that warehouse,” Evan said.
Sophie felt the room shift.
“Which worker?”
“Michael Dawson.”
Twenty-eight years old.
One of the three dead men.
Evan’s eyes filled with rage.
“For fourteen years, I believed your father killed him.”
“He didn’t.”
“You expect me to believe you?”
“No.”
Sophie slowly held up the flash drive.
“I expect you to read this.”
Evan stared at it.
“Put it down.”
“This contains the original records.”
“Put it down!”
“It can tell you who owned the building.”
“I know who owned it.”
“Do you?”
Evan’s face twisted.
Sophie took one slow step.
Daniel whispered, “Sophie.”
She ignored him.
“Victor hired you after your brother died, didn’t he?”
Evan swallowed.
“He helped my family.”
“He bought your silence.”
“No.”
“He gave you someone to hate.”
Evan’s gun lowered an inch.
That was all Daniel needed.
He moved.
Evan fired.
The shot exploded through the office.
Glass shattered.
Sophie dropped.
Daniel slammed into Evan.
The gun skidded across the floor.
Evan punched Daniel.
Daniel hit him back.
They crashed into the conference table.
Sophie crawled toward the gun.
Evan saw her.
He kicked Daniel away and lunged.
Sophie reached the weapon first.
She grabbed it.
Turned.
“Stop!”
Evan froze.
His chest heaved.
Daniel stood behind him, bleeding from the mouth.
Sophie held the gun with both hands.
“I don’t want to shoot you.”
Evan stared at her.
“Then give me the drive.”
“No.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand your brother died.”
His eyes filled.
“You understand nothing.”
“You’re right.”
Sophie lowered the gun slightly.
“I didn’t know him.”
Evan’s anger broke.
Not completely.
Just enough.
“My mom never recovered.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t bring him back.”
“No.”
Sophie’s voice softened.
“But the truth might stop the man who actually caused it.”
Sirens rose below.
Evan looked toward the windows.
Then at Sophie.
Finally, his shoulders dropped.
He sat on the floor.
Police arrived two minutes later.
As they handcuffed him, Evan looked at Sophie.
“Victor has one more move.”
Sophie stepped closer.
“What?”
“He called somebody before I came upstairs.”
“Who?”
Evan smiled bitterly.
“The board.”
Sophie looked at Daniel.
Her phone buzzed.
Emergency shareholder meeting.
8:00 a.m.
Motion: Removal of Sophie Reed as Chief Executive Officer and suspension of voting authority pending investigation.
May you like
Victor didn’t need the evidence anymore.
He planned to take the company before sunrise.
