Chapter 10 - THE FIRE BENEATH THE CHAPEL
Smoke filled the underground archive.
Daniel wrapped his jacket around Eleanor’s face.
“Stay low.”
“I can’t breathe.”
“Keep moving.”
The main staircase was blocked.
Daniel searched the walls.
His father always built escape routes.
Men like Charles Whitmore never created rooms they couldn’t escape from.
Then Daniel found a narrow steel panel.
He kicked it.
Nothing.
Again.
The panel opened.
Cold air rushed inside.
A tunnel ran beneath the chapel.
Daniel helped Eleanor through.
Behind them, flames reached the archive.
Boxes began burning.
Eleanor suddenly stopped.
“The ledger.”
“What?”
“The blue ledger.”
“Forget it.”
“It has the account numbers.”
Daniel looked back.
Smoke swallowed the room.
“Mom, no.”
She pulled away.
Before Daniel could stop her, Eleanor ran back.
“Mom!”
He followed.
She grabbed the blue ledger.
A burning beam collapsed.
Daniel shoved her aside.
The beam struck his shoulder.
Pain exploded through him.
He nearly fell.
Eleanor dragged him toward the tunnel.
They escaped seconds before the archive ceiling collapsed.
Outside, firefighters surrounded the chapel.
Rachel Sloan ran toward them.
“Where’s the evidence?”
Daniel held up the blue ledger.
“Here.”
Rachel smiled for the first time.
Then Daniel’s phone rang.
Charles.
Daniel answered.
“You tried to kill your own wife.”
Eleanor flinched.
Charles laughed.
“She chose a side.”
“You’re finished.”
“No.”
Charles sounded completely calm.
“You still haven’t understood.”
“Understood what?”
“I never needed the records destroyed.”
Daniel’s stomach tightened.
“Why?”
“Because while you were saving your mother…”
Charles paused.
“…I took Claire.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
He called the hospital.
No answer from Claire.
He called her security detail.
Nothing.
Then Rachel received the confirmation.
Claire Whitmore had disappeared fifteen minutes earlier.
One guard had been found unconscious.
Daniel stared at the burning chapel.
Charles hadn’t been trying to destroy the evidence.
May you like
The fire had been a distraction.
And Daniel had fallen for it.
