Chapter 16 - The Marina
The plan was simple enough to sound dangerous.
Emma would wear a wire.
Police would cover the marina from three positions.
Nathan was ordered to stay in a surveillance van.
He agreed.
Then immediately hated agreeing.
At 9:04 p.m., Emma walked alone down the wet wooden dock carrying a small black drive in her coat pocket.
The drive was a copy.
Rain tapped against the boats.
Daniel emerged beside an empty slip wearing a dark jacket and no umbrella.
He was older than Emma imagined. Gray at the temples. Tired around the eyes. Ordinary.
That disturbed her more than if he had looked monstrous.
“You look like your mother,” he said.
Emma stopped ten feet away.
“Don’t.”
“I loved her.”
“You don’t threaten people you love.”
Daniel smiled faintly. “Everyone threatens someone eventually.”
“Where’s Victoria?”
“She made choices.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means she forgot who built the plan.”
Emma’s pulse quickened.
In the van, Nathan leaned toward the monitor.
Mills whispered, “Easy.”
Emma asked, “Did you hurt her?”
Daniel’s eyes moved toward the dark water. “She hurt herself by getting emotional.”
That answer was enough to send two officers toward the nearby boats.
Daniel looked back at Emma. “The drive.”
She took it out.
“First tell me why you used the girls.”
“Because Nathan ignores anything that isn’t on a balance sheet.”
Nathan flinched in the van.
Daniel continued, “Children are leverage. Grief is leverage. Love is leverage. People pretend those things are sacred because they’re afraid to admit how useful they are.”
Emma’s disgust was visible. “You really believe that.”
“I believe results.”
She held up the drive. “Then here’s your result.”
Daniel stepped forward.
Police lights exploded across the marina.
“Police! Hands where we can see them!”
Daniel grabbed Emma.
Nathan was out of the van before Mills could stop him.
Daniel dragged Emma backward toward the edge of the dock, one arm locked around her shoulders.
“Stay back!” he shouted.
Nathan stopped twenty feet away.
Emma’s breathing stayed controlled.
Daniel whispered against her ear, “He came for you.”
Emma stared at Nathan.
Nathan stared back.
Then Emma drove her heel down on Daniel’s foot and dropped her weight.
Daniel lost balance.
Officers rushed.
A gunshot cracked.
Emma fell sideways.
May you like
Nathan shouted her name.
For one horrifying second, she did not move.
