Chapter 9 - THE TRADE AT MIDNIGHT

Midnight arrived beneath heavy rain.

Dominic stood inside the east gate.

Nathan stood beside him.

Daniel and six armed guards remained hidden beyond the stone walls.

Mia stayed inside with Harper.

That was the arrangement.

Mia hated it.

Dominic did not care.

Harper had been used enough.

The black sedan waited fifty yards beyond the gate.

Headlights off.

Engine running.

Nathan looked at Dominic.

“If he asks you to come out, don’t.”

Dominic almost smiled.

“You giving me orders now?”

“Old habit.”

Dominic looked at him.

“Why did you really come back to the cellar?”

Nathan hesitated.

“To stop you opening the door.”

“Why?”

“Because Claire was upstairs.”

Nathan stared into the rain.

“If she knew Mia was alive, she would have called Samuel immediately.”

“She did anyway.”

“Yes.”

Nathan’s expression twisted.

“But Mia got several extra hours.”

Dominic studied him.

Nathan had done terrible things.

But lies were becoming mixed with pieces of truth.

That made everything harder.

The sedan door opened.

Claire stepped out beneath a black umbrella.

Even in the rain, she looked immaculate.

Dominic felt nothing when he saw her.

That surprised him most.

Claire stopped outside the locked gate.

“Dominic.”

He said nothing.

She smiled sadly.

“You look angry.”

Nathan muttered,

“She always did enjoy understatement.”

Claire ignored him.

“Open the gate.”

“No.”

Her smile faded.

“Samuel wants his son.”

Nathan laughed.

“He remembered that now?”

Claire looked toward him.

“You made this complicated.”

“You locked Mia in a cellar.”

“You were supposed to finish the problem.”

Nathan’s face hardened.

Dominic finally spoke.

“You mean kill her.”

Claire looked at him.

For the first time, she dropped the act.

“Yes.”

The word came easily.

Coldly.

Dominic felt something final break.

Claire stepped closer to the bars.

“You think she matters?”

“She cleans your floors.”

“She raises a child in a servant cottage.”

“She is nothing in your world.”

Dominic looked at Claire for a long moment.

Then said,

“She told me the truth.”

Claire’s face tightened.

“You never did.”

Nathan looked away.

Rain struck the iron gate.

Claire lowered her voice.

“Samuel has access to Harper’s school.”

Mia’s daughter.

Four years old.

Dominic’s hands curled.

Claire saw it.

“Send Nathan out.”

“Then Samuel’s people disappear.”

Nathan whispered,

“Don’t.”

Dominic ignored him.

“How do I know?”

Claire lifted a phone.

A live video appeared.

The entrance of Harper’s preschool.

A maintenance van sat outside.

Two men stood beside it.

Dominic memorized the license plate.

Daniel, listening through his earpiece, would already be sending people.

Claire smiled.

“Now you know.”

Dominic looked toward Nathan.

Nathan stepped closer.

“I’ll go.”

Dominic’s expression did not change.

Nathan lowered his voice.

“Dom.”

“I helped create this.”

“Let me end part of it.”

Dominic stared at him.

“You walk through that gate, Samuel owns you.”

Nathan smiled faintly.

“He already did.”

Then Nathan turned toward Claire.

“Open it.”

Dominic grabbed his arm.

For one moment, neither man moved.

Seventeen years sat between them.

Nathan looked at Dominic.

“I’m sorry.”

Dominic’s grip tightened.

“You don’t get to die and call that an apology.”

Nathan almost laughed.

“Still controlling everything.”

“Someone has to.”

Daniel’s voice came through Dominic’s earpiece.

“School secured.”

Dominic did not react.

Daniel continued.

“Van intercepted.”

“Both men detained.”

“Harper is clear.”

Dominic looked toward Claire.

She was still smiling.

She did not know.

Good.

Dominic pressed the gate release.

Claire’s smile widened.

Nathan looked shocked.

Dominic whispered,

“Trust me once.”

Nathan stared at him.

Then walked through.

Claire grabbed his arm.

The sedan’s rear door opened.

Samuel Cross stepped out.

Nathan froze.

Father and son looked at each other for the first time in months.

Samuel appeared almost gentle.

“My boy.”

Nathan’s face showed nothing.

Samuel opened his arms.

Nathan did not move.

Samuel smiled.

“You finally came home.”

Nathan answered,

“No.”

Claire looked confused.

Samuel’s smile faded.

Nathan continued.

“I finally figured out I never had one with you.”

Samuel’s face hardened.

Dominic opened the gate fully.

Daniel’s vehicles appeared behind the sedan.

Lights flooded the road.

Claire spun around.

Samuel did not.

He simply looked toward Dominic.

And smiled.

“You think this ends here?”

Dominic stepped through the gate.

“No.”

Samuel nodded.

“Good.”

Then he pressed something inside his coat.

A distant explosion shook the estate.

Dominic turned.

Fire rose beyond the trees.

From the direction of the old records building.

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