Chapter 10 - THE BULLET
Nathan fell.
Emily screamed his name.
Vanessa stared at the gun in her own hand.
Shock replaced rage.
Police tackled her.
Emily ran toward Nathan.
Blood spread across his shirt near his shoulder.
“Stay with me.”
He grimaced.
“I’m not dying.”
“You don’t know that.”
“It’s my shoulder.”
“That’s still a bullet.”
Despite the pain, he smiled.
“You’re yelling.”
“Because you got shot.”
Paramedics rushed in.
Across the warehouse, Thomas was freed.
Marcus was gone.
He had escaped through a drainage tunnel.
Again.
Vanessa was arrested.
As officers dragged her past Emily, she smiled.
“Marcus will finish this.”
Emily stared back.
“No.”
Vanessa laughed.
“You don’t know him.”
Emily stood.
“No.”
Her voice steadied.
“But he doesn’t know me.”
Nathan survived.
The bullet passed through his shoulder without striking an artery.
Vanessa was charged with attempted murder, conspiracy, evidence tampering, arson, assault, kidnapping, and fraud.
Her attorney immediately requested a deal.
Vanessa offered Marcus.
But she had one condition.
Immunity from the most serious charges.
Emily was furious.
“She shot Nathan.”
Detective Collins nodded.
“The prosecutor isn’t giving her immunity.”
“What will they give her?”
“That depends on what she knows.”
Vanessa knew plenty.
Marcus had accounts overseas.
Safe houses.
Fake identities.
Employees inside Caldwell Development.
But the most important information concerned Richard.
Marcus had evidence Richard had concealed the circumstances surrounding Emily’s father’s death.
Richard could face criminal charges.
Nathan sat in his hospital bed when his father told him.
“I’ll cooperate.”
Nathan looked at him.
“You should.”
Richard nodded.
“I know.”
“Emily’s family deserved the truth.”
“Yes.”
“You should have told them.”
“Yes.”
Nathan stared at him.
“Stop agreeing with me.”
Richard almost smiled.
“I don’t have much room to argue.”
Emily stood outside the room listening.
Richard eventually noticed her.
“I’m sorry.”
Emily entered.
“I don’t need another apology.”
“What do you need?”
“Accountability.”
Richard nodded.
“You’ll have it.”
Three days later, Richard held a press conference.
He admitted publicly that Caldwell Development had failed to disclose evidence related to a fatal construction accident sixteen years earlier.
He announced an independent investigation.
He stepped down as CEO.
The company’s stock fell eleven percent before noon.
Nathan watched from his hospital room.
Emily watched beside him.
“You okay?”
Nathan looked at the television.
“I don’t know.”
Emily nodded.
“That seems reasonable.”
He looked at her.
“You’re terrible at comforting people.”
“I make soup.”
“That’s something.”
“I didn’t make you any.”
He laughed.
Then winced.
Emily smiled for the first time in days.
The moment lasted three seconds.
Then Daniel called.
Marcus had broken into Rosa’s apartment again.
This time, he left something behind.
A photograph of Emily’s father.
May you like
On the back, one sentence was written in red ink.
ASK RICHARD WHO GAVE THE ORDER.
