Chapter 11 - THE EXCHANGE
Elena refused to stay behind.
Daniel called it insanity.
Ruiz called it dangerous.
Margaret called it suicide.
Vanessa said nothing.
Elena looked at Ruiz.
“Samuel wants me.”
“That doesn’t mean we deliver you.”
“He’ll keep moving the money.”
“We can trace it.”
“He’s been hiding financial crimes for almost thirty years.”
Ruiz couldn’t argue.
Elena continued.
“We control the meeting.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Elena turned toward him.
“You don’t get to decide for me.”
“I’m your husband.”
“And I’m not your property.”
“I’m trying to keep you alive!”
“So am I.”
Daniel stopped.
Elena softened.
“I’m not walking into this alone.”
She looked at Ruiz.
“You wire me.”
“You track me.”
“You surround the area.”
“And the second Samuel appears, you take him.”
Ruiz considered it.
Daniel hated that he was considering it.
Finally Ruiz nodded.
“Only if we control every variable.”
Elena almost smiled.
“There are no controlled variables in this family.”
The meeting location arrived ten minutes later.
An abandoned Howard shipping terminal on the Hudson.
Midnight.
Elena arrived at 11:58.
Rain hammered the river.
She wore a wire beneath her coat.
Ruiz’s tactical team surrounded the terminal.
Daniel waited in a command vehicle.
Vanessa had insisted on coming.
She sat handcuffed beside him.
Elena entered the warehouse.
“Samuel?”
Nothing.
Then lights came on.
Samuel Price stood on an elevated platform.
Gray suit.
Silver hair.
Perfectly calm.
“You look remarkably well for someone who fell down a staircase.”
Elena stared up at him.
“You sound remarkably relaxed for a fugitive.”
Samuel smiled.
“Money helps.”
“Where is it?”
“Everywhere.”
“You’re going to return it.”
“No.”
“You called me here to negotiate.”
“I called you here because I need your signature.”
He pointed toward a table.
Documents waited there.
Elena approached.
They transferred her authority as trustee.
“To whom?”
Samuel smiled.
“Vanessa.”
Elena looked up.
“She hates you.”
“She’s emotional.”
“She’ll recover.”
“You kidnapped her.”
“I raised her.”
“You built her entire life around a lie.”
Samuel’s smile faded.
“Sign.”
“No.”
A red laser appeared on Elena’s chest.
She froze.
Samuel nodded toward the darkness.
“You are not negotiating.”
Daniel watched through Elena’s body camera.
He grabbed the radio.
“Ruiz, take the shot.”
“We don’t have the shooter.”
“Find him!”
Inside, Elena stared at Samuel.
“You won’t kill me.”
“Why not?”
“Because you need the trustee.”
Samuel smiled again.
“Exactly.”
Elena slowly picked up the pen.
Then stopped.
“What happens after I sign?”
“You go home.”
“And Vanessa?”
“She’ll understand eventually.”
“You really believe that?”
“I understand Vanessa better than anyone.”
A voice came from behind Samuel.
“No.”
Samuel turned.
Vanessa stood there.
No handcuffs.
Daniel stared at the command vehicle seat beside him.
Empty.
“How the hell—”
Vanessa had slipped out.
She pointed a gun at Samuel.
“You never understood me.”
Samuel looked genuinely surprised.
“Sweetheart.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“I gave you everything.”
“You stole everything.”
“I saved you from Rebecca.”
“You stole my mother.”
Samuel’s expression hardened.
“Put the gun down.”
“No.”
“You’re behaving like a child.”
Vanessa laughed.
“That’s funny.”
“You never let me be one.”
Samuel moved.
Vanessa fired.
The bullet struck the railing beside him.
Ruiz’s team rushed the building.
Gunfire erupted from the darkness.
Samuel’s men opened fire.
Elena dropped behind the table.
Vanessa fired back.
“ELENA!”
Vanessa threw herself beside her.
Elena stared at her.
“You’re supposed to be in custody!”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve had a complicated week.”
Despite herself, Elena almost laughed.
Bullets tore through the table.
Vanessa looked at Elena.
“When I say run, run.”
“Why are you helping me?”
Vanessa’s expression became bitter.
“Don’t confuse this with friendship.”
“I owe you a staircase.”
Elena stared at her.
Vanessa looked away.
“And maybe more.”
She fired twice.
“RUN!”
Elena sprinted toward the side exit.
Ruiz’s officers entered.
Samuel ran toward the river.
Vanessa chased him.
“STOP!”
Samuel reached the dock.
A speedboat waited.
Vanessa raised her weapon.
Samuel turned.
“Do it.”
Vanessa’s hand shook.
“You ruined my life.”
“I gave you one.”
“You made me hate people who didn’t even know what you’d done.”
Samuel smiled.
“And yet you were magnificent.”
Vanessa began crying.
“I became you.”
Samuel’s smile disappeared.
Vanessa lowered the gun.
“No.”
“I became worse.”
Ruiz reached them.
“Drop it, Vanessa.”
She did.
Samuel suddenly pulled a pistol.
Elena saw it first.
“RUIZ!”
Samuel fired.
Vanessa shoved Ruiz aside.
The bullet struck Vanessa.
She fell.
Ruiz fired back.
Samuel collapsed against the dock.
Elena ran toward Vanessa.
Blood spread across her shoulder.
Vanessa looked at Elena.
“Don’t look so worried.”
“I’m not.”
Vanessa laughed weakly.
“Liar.”
Sirens filled the night.
Then Samuel, bleeding several feet away, began laughing.
Ruiz approached him.
“What’s funny?”
Samuel coughed.
“You still think the money matters.”
Elena stared.
Samuel smiled through bloody teeth.
“You should be asking who hired the man inside Elena’s hospital.”
Elena froze.
“What?”
Samuel closed his eyes.
Her phone rang.
Daniel.
She answered.
His voice was frantic.
“Elena, where are you?”
“At the dock.”
“Listen to me.”
“What happened?”
Daniel’s voice broke.
“Someone accessed your medical records.”
“When?”
“Ten minutes ago.”
Elena’s stomach tightened.
Daniel continued.
“And they changed your emergency contact.”
“To who?”
May you like
A pause.
“My mother.”
