Chapter 17 - A River Full of Witnesses
A warning siren howled. The river churned as the first gate lifted, turning calm black water into white, violent foam.
“Who touched the controls?” Garrett shouted.
“Not me,” Penelope said, suddenly scared.
Daniel appeared on the upper catwalk, holding a remote panel. “Nobody leaves with that evidence,” he called. “Not one of you.”
Vance emerged behind him carrying a rifle. The brothers had planned to erase their partners along with the records. Even Penelope looked stunned.
“You promised me,” she shouted at Daniel.
Daniel pointed at her belly. “I promised the child a future. Not you.”
The words struck her harder than a slap.
Tobias climbed onto the catwalk from the maintenance stairs. He hit Vance from behind, sending the rifle skidding across wet metal. Daniel ran toward the control room. Sam, hidden in a service truck, triggered the station's emergency alarm and broadcast the security camera feed to the state investigators already approaching the site.
Rosalind lunged for Evelyn. Garrett caught her by the collar.
“I loved you once,” he said.
“No,” she answered. “You loved how easy I was to fool.”
He pressed the gun closer. “You were never supposed to see this.”
A gunshot cracked. The weapon flew from his hand. Sheriff Halden stood at the station entrance, one arm in a sling, his other hand holding a smoking pistol.
“Get away from her, Garrett.”
“Sheriff?” Rosalind breathed.
Halden looked exhausted. “I finally picked a side.”
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Before anyone moved, the floodgate motor groaned and stalled. A maintenance cable snapped overhead. The catwalk shuddered.
Tobias slipped through a broken railing and disappeared into the torrent below.
