Chapter 13 - The Steel Mill
They landed at a private industrial strip three miles from the old mill.
No police.
No federal agents.
No news cameras.
Only rain.
Silas looked at Victor.
“This is where she kills me.”
Victor checked his weapon.
“Probably.”
Khloe stared at both of them.
“That doesn’t sound encouraging.”
“It wasn’t meant to.”
They reached the steel mill shortly before midnight.
Rusting towers rose against the storm.
Broken windows stared into darkness.
Inside, old machinery formed black shapes beneath hanging chains.
Elena whispered, “The vault is below the east furnace.”
Victor led.
Silas followed.
Khloe and Elena stayed behind them.
A guard appeared.
Victor disarmed him silently.
Another.
Then another.
This wasn’t a rescue anymore.
It was war conducted in whispers.
They reached a steel stairwell.
From below came a child’s scream.
Khloe ran.
Silas caught her arm.
“Wait.”
“That’s Matteo.”
“I know.”
His face was white.
They descended.
A fluorescent-lit room waited beneath the mill.
Matteo sat strapped to a medical chair.
Dr. Mercer stood beside him with a syringe.
Helena stood behind him.
“Stop.”
Silas’s voice filled the room.
Helena turned.
Almost relieved.
“I knew you’d come.”
Matteo saw his father.
His entire face changed.
Then he saw Khloe.
His hands were restrained, but he tried to sign anyway.
Help.
Silas stepped forward.
Four armed men appeared on the catwalk above them.
Helena smiled.
“You always confuse courage with impulse.”
Silas stopped.
“I signed the company over.”
“Yes.”
“Let him go.”
“No.”
Silas stared.
“That was the deal.”
Helena’s expression turned almost tender.
“My darling boy. You still think deals matter after power changes hands?”
Elena stepped out of the shadows.
Helena’s face collapsed.
For the first time, genuine shock.
“You.”
Elena smiled through tears.
“Miss me?”
Silas watched his mother.
Six years of lies died in her expression.
Helena recovered.
“You should have stayed gone.”
“You should have killed me when you had the chance.”
Matteo stared at Elena.
He didn’t recognize her.
Elena looked at her son and almost broke.
Khloe stepped closer to Matteo.
One guard aimed his weapon.
Helena lifted her hand.
“Not yet.”
Silas said, “The federal government has Rosa’s files.”
A bluff.
Helena smiled.
“No, they don’t.”
Victor stepped forward.
“They do now.”
He held up his phone.
Signal.
Helena’s smile vanished.
Victor continued.
“Automatic upload triggered when we entered the building.”
Silas looked at him.
Victor hadn’t told anyone.
Helena looked toward Dr. Mercer.
“Finish it.”
Mercer raised the syringe.
Khloe moved without thinking.
She grabbed a metal tray and threw it.
It struck Mercer’s arm.
The syringe flew.
Silas charged.
Gunfire exploded from the catwalk.
Victor fired back.
Elena crawled toward Matteo.
Khloe reached the chair.
She tore at the restraints.
Matteo was sobbing.
She signed wildly.
I’m here. I’m here.
A bullet struck the wall beside them.
Silas tackled Mercer.
Helena ran.
Elena freed one of Matteo’s hands.
Matteo signed one word.
Mom?
Elena froze.
Tears poured down her face.
She nodded.
Matteo reached for her.
Then Helena appeared behind them holding a gun.
She aimed directly at Elena.
Silas saw her.
“Mother!”
May you like
Helena pulled the trigger.
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