Chapter 14 - The Last Target
Clare screamed before Vincent finished the sentence.
Dominic caught her.
“Where?”
“Lake Shore Drive.”
“Ellie?”
“Vehicle disabled. Guards returning fire.”
Clare ripped herself free.
“Take me there!”
Dominic was already moving.
His knee barely supported him.
He didn’t care.
Vincent drove.
Clare sat in the back, calling the guard assigned to Ellie.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
“Please.”
She stared at the phone.
“Please.”
Dominic turned.
“They know the route?”
“Only Vincent, me, and the detail.”
Vincent’s eyes flicked toward the mirror.
“That means leak.”
Dominic understood.
Elias had been arrested.
Rafael was wounded.
Lydia was with Arthur.
Who remained?
Someone inside Dominic’s security.
The SUV reached the blocked section of Lake Shore Drive twelve minutes later.
One armored vehicle sat sideways.
Front tire destroyed.
Windows cracked.
No bodies.
Clare jumped out before the car stopped.
“Ellie!”
A wounded guard pointed toward the pedestrian underpass.
“They took her.”
Clare nearly collapsed.
“Who?”
“Two men.”
Dominic crouched beside him.
“How did they know the convoy?”
The guard shook his head.
“Don’t know.”
Vincent searched the vehicle.
Then stopped.
A tracker was attached beneath the rear bumper.
Same design family as the receiver in Dominic’s brace.
Dominic stared at Vincent.
“The brace receiver wasn’t tracking me.”
Vincent understood.
“It was testing range.”
A prototype.
Someone had tested the network on Dominic.
Then used it on Ellie’s convoy.
Clare looked between them.
“Where is my daughter?”
A phone rang.
Dominic’s.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A man’s voice.
Not Rafael.
Not Elias.
Vincent heard it.
His face changed.
Dominic saw that.
“You know him.”
Vincent said nothing.
The voice laughed.
“Hello, Dominic.”
Dominic’s stomach tightened.
There was only one man from his past who used that tone.
“Marcus.”
Vincent closed his eyes.
Marcus Hale.
Vincent’s younger brother.
Former Vale security officer.
Fired six years earlier after Dominic discovered he was selling information.
Supposedly living in Florida.
Vincent whispered, “I haven’t spoken to him in years.”
Marcus laughed through the speaker.
“Tell my brother to stop pretending.”
Vincent grabbed the phone.
“Where is the girl?”
“You always did care about the innocent ones, Vince.”
“I’ll kill you.”
“No.”
Marcus sounded almost amused.
“You’ll bring Dominic.”
The call ended.
A location arrived.
An abandoned ferry terminal.
Clare tried to get into the SUV.
Dominic stopped her.
“No.”
“She’s my child!”
“That is why you stay.”
“You don’t get to decide!”
Dominic stepped close.
“Yes, I do.”
Clare’s eyes filled with fury.
“You’re not her father!”
“No.”
Dominic’s voice softened.
“But right now, I’m the man Marcus wants.”
Clare stopped.
Dominic continued.
“If you come, you give him two hostages.”
Vincent looked at her.
“He’s right.”
Clare covered her face.
“Bring her back.”
Dominic looked at Vincent.
Then at Clare.
“I will.”
The ferry terminal smelled of rust and lake water.
Dominic entered alone.
At least that was what Marcus believed.
Vincent and four men moved through the maintenance tunnels.
Ellie sat on a metal chair near the loading ramp.
Not tied.
Crying quietly.
Marcus stood behind her with a gun.
He looked older.
Thinner.
But Dominic remembered him.
“Let her go.”
Marcus smiled.
“You really came.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I thought the great Dominic Vale would send soldiers.”
“He did.”
Marcus’s smile flickered.
Dominic continued walking.
“Your mistake was taking the child.”
“My mistake was trusting Elias.”
Dominic stopped.
“So you worked for him.”
“For years.”
“Security leaks?”
“Yes.”
“Hidden cameras?”
“Yes.”
“Kreel?”
Marcus’s expression changed.
Dominic understood.
“You killed him.”
“He tried to back out.”
“Angela?”
“Rafael handled her.”
“Convoy?”
“Me.”
Dominic looked at Ellie.
She was trembling.
“Why her?”
Marcus shrugged.
“Insurance.”
“She’s four.”
“So?”
Dominic’s face went cold.
That answer decided everything.
He took one more step.
Marcus raised the gun.
“Stop.”
Dominic stopped.
“Drop the cane.”
He did.
“Now kick it away.”
Dominic kicked.
Pain shot through his leg.
He nearly fell.
Marcus smiled.
“All this because a kid noticed your brace.”
Ellie looked up.
Dominic met her eyes.
She was terrified.
But watching.
Always watching mechanisms.
Dominic shifted his gaze almost imperceptibly toward the red emergency-release handle beside the loading ramp.
Ellie followed his eyes.
Marcus didn’t notice.
“What do you want?” Dominic asked.
“Safe exit.”
“You won’t get one.”
“Then she dies.”
Dominic kept him talking.
“What did Elias promise you?”
“Money.”
“He always disappoints.”
Marcus laughed.
“You think I need advice?”
“No.”
Dominic looked at Ellie again.
“I think you need to look down.”
Marcus frowned.
Ellie pulled the emergency handle.
The loading ramp dropped six inches with a violent metallic crash.
Marcus lost his balance.
Dominic lunged.
The gun fired.
Ellie screamed.
Dominic hit Marcus around the waist.
They slammed into the floor.
Marcus punched Dominic’s injured knee.
White pain exploded through him.
Vincent burst from the side door.
“Marcus!”
Marcus raised the gun.
Vincent fired first.
One shot.
Marcus collapsed.
Silence.
Dominic rolled onto his back.
Ellie ran toward him.
“Mr. Dominic!”
He caught her.
Vincent stood frozen over his brother.
Gun still raised.
Marcus gasped.
Blood spread beneath him.
Vincent dropped to his knees.
“Why?”
Marcus laughed weakly.
“You always picked him.”
Vincent’s face broke.
Marcus looked at Dominic.
Then at Ellie.
And whispered his final words.
“Elias wasn’t the last one.”
His eyes closed.
Vincent stared.
Dominic held Ellie tighter.
“What did he mean?”
Marcus didn’t answer.
Then Dominic felt something in Ellie’s hand.
A small silver key.
She whispered, “The bad man dropped it.”
Stamped on the key were two letters.
May you like
L.V.
Leonard Vale.
