Chapter 10 - THE SENATOR
Malcolm Voss looked exactly like he did on television.
Calm.
Distinguished.
Trustworthy.
That was the frightening part.
He smiled at me.
“You look like your mother.”
I wanted to hit him.
Instead I said, “You remember her?”
“Very well.”
“Did you kill her?”
Julian's face changed.
“Voss—”
The senator lifted one finger.
Julian shut up.
That told me everything about their relationship.
Voss looked at me.
“Your mother suffered a medical event.”
“After meeting you.”
“People meet me every day.”
“And some of them survive.”
His smile faded.
“You have her temper too.”
I reached into my pocket.
“Here's the drive.”
Voss held out his hand.
“Bring it.”
“No.”
Julian stepped toward me.
“Elena.”
“Stay where you are.”
He stopped.
Good.
He was still afraid.
I held up the drive.
“Selene first.”
Voss laughed.
“You think you're negotiating for your husband's mistress?”
“I'm negotiating for a witness.”
Julian stared at me.
Voss's eyes narrowed.
There.
He cared.
“She's alive?” I asked.
Nobody answered.
“Interesting.”
Voss stepped closer.
“Your father trained you well.”
“My mother did.”
For the first time, anger flashed in his face.
I pressed.
“She scared you, didn't she?”
Julian muttered, “Stop.”
“She found your money.”
“Elena.”
“She copied your records.”
“STOP.”
It wasn't Julian who shouted.
It was Voss.
The warehouse went silent.
I smiled.
“Thank you.”
His expression hardened.
“For what?”
“For confirming the files are real.”
He realized the trap.
Too late.
A red dot appeared on Julian's chest.
Then another on Voss.
Federal tactical teams flooded the pier.
“Hands!”
“Federal agents!”
“Do not move!”
Voss looked at me.
Not afraid.
Impressed.
“You brought the FBI?”
“No.”
A woman stepped forward wearing a dark coat and body armor.
Special Agent Rebecca Shaw.
“My mother did.”
Voss froze.
Shaw held up a sealed envelope.
“Margaret Marlowe submitted an evidence package to federal counsel eight years ago. The release was contingent on activation of a digital key.”
I held up the real key card Daniel had hidden in my sleeve.
“Apparently Mom liked backups.”
Voss turned toward Julian.
“You idiot.”
Julian raised his hands.
“I didn't know.”
“You brought her here!”
“You told me to get the drive!”
Agents grabbed Julian.
Voss's smile disappeared.
Then gunfire erupted from the roof.
Agents scattered.
Glass exploded.
Voss ran.
Julian dropped to the ground.
And out of the darkness, someone grabbed my arm and dragged me behind a shipping container.
I twisted, ready to fight.
Selene covered my mouth.
“Quiet.”
I stared at her.
She was bleeding from the forehead.
She whispered,
May you like
“If Voss gets away, your father dies before sunrise.”
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