Chapter 14 - THE WOMAN I ALMOST MARRIED
Daniel had Amanda.
She had been moved to a secured location after agreeing to cooperate.
Somehow, that location had leaked.
Howard later admitted he had given Daniel access to an old law-enforcement contractor who sold information.
The rot went deeper than any of us realized.
Daniel demanded the drives.
Police wanted to control the exchange.
I wanted Daniel in handcuffs.
Amanda wanted something else.
When Daniel allowed her to speak during the next call, she said:
“Ryan, don’t bring them.”
Daniel hit her.
I heard it.
My entire body tensed.
Then Amanda said louder:
“Don’t bring the drives!”
Daniel grabbed the phone.
“She’s emotional.”
I said, “Let her go.”
“Bring me what I asked for.”
“Where?”
He gave an address.
An unfinished office tower on the edge of downtown.
Midnight.
Of course.
Men like Daniel seemed addicted to dramatic locations.
Grant prepared the operation.
The actual flash drives never left police custody.
We carried replicas.
Tiny trackers were hidden inside the cases.
I wore a wire.
Marcus gave us the building layout because he had used the location before.
At 11:57 p.m., I walked inside.
Alone.
At least Daniel believed I was alone.
The unfinished lobby smelled like concrete and dust.
One work light burned on the far side.
Daniel emerged from the shadows.
For the first time, I saw him face-to-face.
He looked disappointingly normal.
That angered me.
A murderer should look like something.
Daniel looked like someone’s retired accountant.
“Ryan Carter.”
“You killed my mother.”
He smiled faintly.
“Howard talks too much.”
“Did you?”
“You came here for Amanda.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Daniel’s eyes hardened.
“Your mother was stubborn.”
My hands curled into fists.
“She found numbers she didn’t understand.”
“She understood enough to fire you.”
“She destroyed everything I built.”
“You stole it.”
“I moved money.”
“Into your accounts.”
He shrugged.
“Semantics.”
I wanted to cross the room and hit him until he stopped breathing.
Instead I remembered Sophie.
I stayed still.
“Where’s Amanda?”
Daniel pointed toward the stairs.
“Drives first.”
I held up the cases.
“Her first.”
He smiled.
Then Amanda appeared on the second-floor landing.
Hands tied.
Lip bleeding.
Alive.
“Ryan!”
Daniel drew a gun.
Police couldn’t move yet.
Not with the weapon pointed toward Amanda.
I placed the drive cases on the floor.
Daniel approached.
Then another voice came from behind him.
“Don’t.”
Marcus stepped out of the darkness.
Daniel spun.
“What are you doing here?”
Marcus’s hands trembled.
“This ends.”
Daniel laughed.
“You think helping police makes you clean?”
“No.”
Marcus shook his head.
“But I’m tired of digging graves for you.”
Daniel aimed at him.
That was the opening.
Amanda threw herself sideways.
I kicked the drive cases under a steel beam.
Police flooded the lobby.
“DROP THE WEAPON!”
Daniel fired.
The shot cracked through the building.
Marcus fell.
Daniel ran upstairs.
I heard Amanda scream.
I ignored every instinct telling me to chase him.
Instead I ran to her.
Because for once, revenge was not the most important thing in the room.
I cut her hands free.
“You okay?”
She stared at me.
“Marcus.”
Officers were already treating him.
Then Grant shouted from upstairs.
“Daniel’s on the roof!”
Seconds later came another gunshot.
May you like
Then silence.
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