Chapter 10 - The Woman Behind Aurora
Elaine Voss had not been a victim of Derek’s network.
She was the customer.
The financier.
The reason it existed.
Derek transported what she needed.
Hall protected it.
Rainier supplied it.
Walter kept records.
And when Rainier closed, the entire system destabilized.
Voss wanted the remaining biological inventory.
Derek wanted revenge.
Their interests aligned.
Until Titan ruined the park operation.
Now they had Sophie.
Why Sophie?
Because Derek understood symbolism.
The child Titan saved.
The dog everyone called a hero.
The handler who had become the public face of the investigation.
If Derek controlled Sophie again, he controlled the story again.
He sent coordinates.
Pier 46.
No police.
Bring Titan.
I laughed when I read it.
Not because it was funny.
Because of course.
Always Titan.
Ramirez said:
“You’re not going alone.”
“He’ll be watching.”
“We’ll stay outside range.”
Maya handed me a compact antivenom kit.
“Take this.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
“Helpful.”
“Ethan.”
Her expression was serious.
“If Sophie is near a silver case, do not open it.”
“What if Derek does?”
“Get distance.”
“How much?”
“I don’t know.”
That answer scared me more than anything.
Titan stood beside me.
Bandage removed.
Wound covered by protective wrap.
He should have been home.
I should have forced him home.
But Derek had taken Sophie because of Titan.
And there was no version of this where I walked in without him.
At the pier, the warehouse doors stood open.
Inside, lights led us forward.
Titan moved carefully.
No strain.
No pulling.
Almost as though he understood his body had limits.
We entered a large refrigerated storage space.
Sophie sat behind glass.
Derek stood beside her.
Elaine Voss stood farther back.
Silver case on a table.
Two armed men near the exit.
“You actually came.”
Derek sounded pleased.
“You asked.”
His eyes moved to Titan.
“He survived.”
“Yes.”
“Remarkable.”
“Disappointing?”
“Very.”
Voss spoke.
“We don’t have time for this.”
Her voice was colder than Derek’s.
Controlled.
Clinical.
She cared less about revenge.
More about retrieval.
“The drive,” she said.
“What drive?”
“Walter’s.”
“Federal evidence.”
“You made copies.”
“Maybe.”
Derek smiled.
“You lie badly.”
“No.”
“I lie professionally.”
Titan’s ears lifted.
Sophie saw him.
Her face changed.
“Titan.”
He whined.
Derek pointed his pistol toward her.
Titan stopped.
“See?”
Derek smiled.
“He understands leverage.”
I kept my voice calm.
“What do you want?”
Voss touched the silver case.
“Walter copied Project Zero data.”
“And?”
“Those files become inaccessible.”
“You kidnapped a child over data?”
“I kidnapped nobody.”
Derek looked amused.
“Technically, I did.”
Voss ignored him.
“This entire situation exists because Derek became theatrical.”
His smile disappeared.
“You needed me.”
“I needed transport.”
“You needed fear.”
“I needed discretion.”
Their alliance was cracking.
That mattered.
I looked at Derek.
“She’s going to leave you.”
Voss’s eyes shifted.
Derek’s did not.
“Quiet.”
“She gets her case.”
I nodded toward it.
“She disappears.”
“You go to prison.”
“Shut up.”
“She’s been using you since Rainier.”
His jaw tightened.
Good.
Voss snapped:
“Enough.”
She opened the silver case.
Maya’s warning screamed in my head.
Inside were sealed vials.
No aerosol device.
Not yet.
Project Zero wasn’t ready to deploy.
That was the good news.
The bad news?
One vial was missing.
I stared at the empty slot.
Voss saw me notice.
Her expression changed.
“Derek.”
He smiled.
“What?”
“Where is Z-3?”
“Safe.”
“You idiot.”
I understood.
Derek had stolen part of Number Zero from Voss.
Insurance.
Leverage.
Maybe something worse.
Then the lights went out.
Titan barked.
Gunfire exploded.
Glass shattered.
Sophie screamed.
I moved toward her.
Someone hit me from the side.
I went down.
Emergency lights turned red.
Through smoke and chaos, I saw Derek running.
Silver vial case under one arm.
Voss shouting after him.
And Titan—
Titan was no longer beside me.
He was inside the broken glass enclosure with Sophie.
Standing between her and a king cobra.
May you like
Number One.
---
