Chapter 9 - The Brother Who Chose Them
Arthur looked nothing like a hostage.
He wore an expensive dark coat.
Clean shoes.
A Vandermark security pin on his lapel.
I kept my hands visible.
“You’re our brother?”
He looked at me.
“Half brother in every way that matters.”
“Same mother.”
“She gave me away.”
My mother shook her head violently.
Arthur’s jaw tightened.
“Don’t.”
She tried to speak.
Nothing came.
Celeste leaned against the desk.
“This reunion is touching.”
Ewan ignored her.
“Arthur, what happened?”
Arthur laughed.
“What happened?”
He looked at Ewan’s scars.
“You should understand.”
He pointed to our mother.
“She and Malcolm had me when they were barely adults. Vale Shipping was collapsing. Malcolm owed people money.”
I said, “August Vandermark.”
“August’s father.”
That surprised me.
The sickness went back another generation.
Arthur continued.
“The Vandermarks cleared the debt.”
“What did they get?”
“Me.”
Delia looked horrified.
Arthur shrugged.
“I was raised by one of their families in Indiana. Private school. College. A job.”
“You make it sound generous.”
“It was.”
“Then why hide who you were?”
“Because Malcolm wanted his first mistake erased.”
My mother made a strained sound.
Arthur snapped, “Stop pretending.”
I watched her face.
Grief.
Not guilt.
There was more.
I said, “You know she’s trying to tell you something.”
“I stopped waiting for explanations forty years ago.”
Celeste checked her watch.
“We’re running out of time.”
“For what?”
“The city redevelopment vote.”
Now it made sense.
At four that afternoon, Chicago was scheduled to approve a massive river redevelopment package.
Whoever controlled the Vale waterfront after the vote would hold land worth nearly a billion dollars.
Celeste never wanted my money.
She wanted my name on land deeds.
Arthur said, “I can sign instead.”
Ewan shook his head.
“You’re working with the family that bought you.”
“They raised me.”
“They used you.”
“They gave me more than the Vales ever did.”
My mother finally forced out a word.
“No.”
Arthur turned.
She fought for air.
“Stolen.”
His face tightened.
“What?”
She pointed weakly toward herself.
Then him.
“Stolen.”
Celeste’s expression changed.
She moved toward my mother.
I stepped between them.
“Let her speak.”
“Damian.”
“Let her.”
My mother fought through each sound.
“Didn’t… give…”
Arthur stared.
“Mom?”
“Malcolm…”
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Took… you.”
Silence.
Arthur looked toward Celeste.
Then back.
My mother forced out:
“Told me… you died.”
The room changed.
Arthur took a step backward.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
My mother nodded.
Arthur looked at Celeste.
She did not look surprised.
That was the mistake.
He saw it.
“You knew.”
Celeste said, “Arthur—”
“You knew she didn’t give me away.”
“Your childhood is irrelevant.”
His face went blank.
“You knew.”
August’s voice came from Celeste’s phone.
“Do not lose focus.”
Arthur stared at the phone.
“Did you know?”
August replied calmly.
“Yes.”
Arthur shut his eyes.
Forty years of loyalty collapsed in one second.
Celeste raised her gun.
I moved.
Ewan moved faster.
He knocked my mother’s wheelchair sideways while I hit Celeste’s arm.
The gun fired.
Glass exploded.
Arthur grabbed Celeste.
Marcus appeared through the side door.
Everything happened at once.
Delia pulled my mother behind the desk.
Ewan pinned one guard against the wall.
I took the gun from Celeste.
Arthur stood frozen.
Then an alarm began ringing.
Not police.
Fire.
Celeste smiled.
“You really should have learned from Pier 44.”
Smoke rolled beneath the door.
She had wired the foundry to burn.
May you like
Again.
And this time my entire family was inside.
