Chapter 18 - THE SHOT AT THE AIRFIELD
Daniel hit the pavement with Lily beneath him.
Another shot shattered the jet’s side window.
Adrian’s tactical team rushed the runway.
Owen fired toward the hangar.
Grant returned fire into the ground near Owen’s feet, forcing him backward.
“Drop it!”
Owen ran.
Not toward the jet.
Toward the medical hangar.
Daniel held Lily tightly.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
“I’m okay.”
Daniel checked her again anyway.
No blood.
No visible injury.
He pulled her against his chest.
“You did so good.”
Lily cried into his shoulder.
“I was scared.”
“I know.”
“I knew you’d come.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Those words nearly broke him.
Behind them, Ethan shouted.
“Owen’s heading for the tunnel!”
Daniel looked up.
The old hangar connected to the same underground system Ethan had described.
Owen had a second escape route.
Grant pointed at Adrian.
“Stay with Lily.”
Daniel stood.
Grant grabbed him.
“You’re not going after him.”
“Yes, I am.”
“You’re a civilian.”
“He knows who killed Elena.”
Grant stared at him.
Then handed him a flashlight.
“Stay behind me.”
They entered the hangar.
Rose followed despite Natalie begging her not to.
Vanessa came too.
The underground corridor smelled of rust and damp concrete.
Far ahead, footsteps echoed.
Owen had nowhere to go except the old maintenance exit.
Grant moved quickly.
They reached a chamber beneath the laboratory.
A steel cabinet stood open.
Owen was stuffing documents into a metal burn barrel.
Grant raised his weapon.
“Stop.”
Owen froze.
Daniel saw photographs inside the cabinet.
Elena.
Paul Mercer.
Daniel’s father.
Rose.
Natalie.
Vanessa.
Ethan.
Every person Owen had controlled.
Every threat he had managed.
Owen slowly turned.
“It’s over.”
Daniel said.
Owen smiled.
“Nothing ends.”
“Someone always replaces the person holding the secrets.”
Grant moved closer.
“Hands where I can see them.”
Owen raised his hands.
Then Daniel noticed an old security monitor behind him.
A paused video filled the screen.
Date.
The night before Elena died.
Garage Camera 4.
Daniel stared.
Owen followed his eyes.
Then smiled.
“You want your answer?”
Daniel did not move.
Owen pressed a button.
The video played.
Elena’s garage appeared.
Rose entered first.
She hid the recorder.
Later Vanessa arrived.
She stayed twenty-three minutes.
Then she left.
For almost an hour, nothing happened.
At 3:07 a.m., another person entered.
Daniel stepped toward the screen.
His face went white.
“No.”
Ethan had reached the chamber behind them.
He saw the screen.
His expression collapsed.
The figure approaching Elena’s car was Daniel and Ethan’s father.
Richard Reed.
Daniel whispered.
“Dad?”
The video showed Richard kneeling beside the front wheel.
He remained there for seven minutes.
Then he stood.
May you like
He looked directly into the security camera.
And the recording stopped.
