Chapter 17 - The Man With a Badge
They had nineteen minutes before Mercer arrived.
Ortiz called her captain.
Elaine paced.
Claire stood near the window, arms folded tight across her chest.
Adrian watched the building entrance through a camera feed.
“Why would Mercer come himself?” he asked.
“Because he wants to control the evidence,” Elaine said.
“Or because you’re lying,” Ortiz replied.
Elaine nodded. “Fair.”
That mattered. Liars usually hated uncertainty.
Elaine handed Ortiz a digital key. “This opens a dead-drop archive. Thomas and I stored scans there. Mercer’s original payments are included.”
Ortiz connected an isolated laptop.
The archive opened.
Bank records. Meeting logs. An internal memo showing Mercer had warned Richard about a sealed inquiry three days before Thomas died.
Then a payment.
$180,000 routed through an offshore consulting firm to Mercer’s brother.
Ortiz went silent.
“Enough for an arrest?” Adrian asked.
“Enough for warrants and a very bad day.”
A black sedan stopped outside.
Mercer entered the building with two men.
Ortiz’s captain texted: DO NOT ENGAGE. TEAM EN ROUTE.
Mercer knocked.
“Elaine? It’s Daniel.”
No one moved.
He knocked again.
Then his voice changed.
“Claire, your mother is not who you think she is.”
Claire whispered, “He knows I’m here.”
Mercer continued through the door. “She stole federal evidence. She has lied for decades. Open the door and we can protect you.”
Elaine almost laughed. “Same speech. Twenty-five years later.”
The handle moved.
Locked.
Then metal scraped.
Someone was picking it.
Ortiz drew her weapon.
Adrian moved Claire behind the kitchen wall.
The door opened three inches.
Ortiz shouted, “Police! Stop!”
Mercer froze.
His eyes met hers through the gap.
Then he ran.
The hallway exploded with footsteps.
One of Mercer’s men shoved a service cart into Ortiz and sprinted for the stairs.
Adrian chased without thinking.
“Adrian!” Claire shouted.
He reached the stairwell as Mercer disappeared down one flight.
Adrian followed.
At the next landing Mercer turned with a gun.
Both men stopped.
Mercer aimed at Adrian’s chest.
“You have no idea what your father did.”
Adrian raised his hands. “Then tell me.”
“He was going to burn everyone. Richard. Me. Your mother. Martin. Himself.”
“Maybe he should have.”
Mercer’s jaw tightened.
Sirens rose outside.
Mercer stepped backward toward the fire exit.
Then Claire’s voice came from above.
“Daniel.”
He looked up.
That second was enough.
Ortiz hit him from the side.
The gun fired into the ceiling.
Mercer went down.
As officers cuffed him, he started laughing.
“You think Richard is the end of this?”
Adrian stared at him.
Mercer smiled.
“Richard has Vanessa at the old Vale house.”
May you like
Claire went still.
Mercer added, “And he wired the place to burn.”
