Chapter 7 - The Detonator
A red light blinked against Julian’s chest.
Celeste moved toward him.
He stepped back.
“Don’t.”
Her voice broke.
“Did she put that on you?”
Julian nodded.
Vivian held a small remote in her hand.
“Place the drive and the ring on the table.”
Grant raised his gun.
Vivian lifted her thumb over the button.
“Shoot me, and muscle contraction may trigger it.”
Grant hesitated.
Nora studied Julian’s face.
“Is it real?”
Vivian looked amused.
“Would you like to test it?”
Ethan placed the gun on the floor.
Then he set the flash drive on the conference table.
Nora still held the ring.
Vivian extended her hand.
“The ring too.”
Nora looked toward the windows.
Far below, police vehicles were gathering around the hotel entrance.
“Even if you destroy the evidence, hundreds of guests saw the recordings.”
“Guests remember what lawyers tell them they saw.”
“You can’t buy everyone.”
Vivian smiled.
“My dear, everyone has a price. Some simply call it fear.”
Nora slowly placed the ring beside the drive.
Vivian stepped forward.
Grant looked at Julian.
“Where is the detonator receiver?”
Julian glanced down and to the left.
It was almost invisible.
But Grant noticed.
So did Ethan.
Ethan suddenly kicked the conference table.
The ring and drive slid across its surface.
Vivian grabbed for them.
Grant fired at the ceiling sprinkler pipe.
Water exploded into the room.
The lights flickered.
Ethan tackled Vivian.
The remote flew from her hand.
Celeste caught it against her chest.
“No one move!” she shouted.
Water poured over everyone.
Julian stared at the blinking device.
Grant approached him slowly.
“I worked military disposal before hotel security.”
Vivian struggled beneath Ethan.
“He’s lying.”
Grant ignored her.
He removed a small knife.
“This vest has three visible wires. That means the real circuit is probably behind the back panel.”
Julian’s breathing became shallow.
“Can you remove it?”
“I can try.”
Celeste stood in front of Julian.
“Look at me.”
He did.
“You lied to me,” she said. “You chose money over people. You helped them hide things you knew were wrong.”
Tears mixed with water on Julian’s face.
“I know.”
“But I am not letting you die before you answer for it.”
Grant reached behind the vest.
Nora saw Vivian move beneath Ethan.
Her hand slipped toward the floor.
Toward the remote Celeste had dropped.
“Celeste!”
Vivian grabbed it.
Her thumb came down.
Nothing happened.
Grant pulled a small receiver from the vest.
The red light died.
Vivian stared at the useless remote.
Grant looked at her.
“You never expected me to choose the truth over you.”
Vivian smiled strangely.
“No.”
Then she looked at Nora.
“I expected her husband to choose himself.”
Nora turned.
Ethan was standing beside the broken window.
The flash drive was in his hand again.
May you like
And he was holding it over the forty-story drop.
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