Chapter 10 - Caroline’s Lie
Dominic raised his gun.
“Caroline?”
“It’s me.”
He didn’t lower the weapon.
“How did you find us?”
Silence.
Then Caroline said, “Please open the door.”
Dominic looked at me.
I shook my head.
Something felt wrong.
“Caroline,” I called. “Are you hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Another pause.
“My shoulder.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
Earlier, Victor had fired a gun while Caroline screamed.
A shoulder wound was possible.
But how had she escaped?
“How did you get here?” Dominic asked.
“Victor let me go.”
Dominic almost laughed.
“No, he didn’t.”
“I escaped.”
“You just said he let you go.”
Silence.
Then a man’s voice whispered outside.
Too quiet for me to understand.
Dominic heard it.
His restored hearing saved us again.
He grabbed Marcus and pulled us behind a steel shelving unit.
“Down.”
Bullets ripped through the door.
I covered Marcus.
Dominic fired back.
A man screamed.
Another burst of gunfire.
Then silence.
Dominic moved toward the entrance.
“Stay here.”
He stepped out.
A minute later, he returned with Caroline.
She was crying.
Her hands were tied.
Blood covered her shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
I hugged her.
“What happened?”
“They forced me to call out.”
Dominic looked down the hallway.
“Victor?”
“Not here.”
“Where?”
Caroline shook her head.
“He left with the files from your basement.”
“He doesn’t need them anymore.”
She stared at the metal case.
“You found Sofia’s archive.”
Dominic looked at her sharply.
“How do you know about this?”
Caroline went still.
Too still.
Dominic raised the gun again.
“Answer me.”
“I helped her.”
“What?”
“Sofia.”
Dominic looked stunned.
Caroline swallowed.
“She knew Victor controlled almost everyone around you. She needed someone he didn’t notice.”
“So she chose you.”
“I was twenty-three. An assistant. Invisible.”
Dominic lowered the gun slightly.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Sofia made me promise.”
“She’s dead.”
“And Victor is alive.”
That answer cut through the room.
Caroline looked at Marcus.
“Victor knows the archive exists now.”
“How?”
“He found part of Sofia’s notes.”
Dominic turned toward the drives.
“So that’s why he planted the key on Marcus.”
I frowned.
“That makes no sense. Why give us something he wants?”
Caroline looked at me.
“He didn’t give Marcus the key.”
Marcus looked up.
“Yes, he did.”
Caroline shook her head.
“No. Victor was searching for it.”
The room went quiet.
I crouched beside Marcus.
“Baby. Think carefully. Who gave you the key?”
Marcus frowned.
Then pointed.
At Caroline.
My heart stopped.
Caroline’s face changed.
Dominic raised his weapon.
Marcus said, “She told me not to tell.”
Caroline looked at us.
And suddenly, the injured, frightened assistant disappeared.
She smiled.
“Smart kid.”
Dominic’s finger tightened on the trigger.
“Who are you working for?”
Caroline’s smile faded.
“Myself.”
May you like
Then she reached into her blood-soaked jacket.
And pulled out a gun.
