Chapter 19 - The Man Above Cole
Cole twisted as the shot fired.
The bullet struck the sedan window behind him.
He dove behind the car.
Vale fired again.
“Stop!” Miriam shouted.
Vale ignored her.
Jax understood instantly.
Vale was not rescuing anyone.
He was erasing evidence.
Cole knew too much.
Jax circled wide behind a fuel truck while agents spread out.
Vale shouted, “Cole Mercer is armed and dangerous!”
“So are you,” Miriam yelled back.
For the first time, Vale’s calm expression cracked.
Cole crawled beneath the sedan and fired toward him.
Vale ducked.
Jax reached the opposite side of the car.
Cole saw him.
For one strange second, the brothers looked at each other beneath the chassis like kids hiding under a bed.
Cole whispered, “Help me.”
Jax almost laughed.
“You kidnapped Hannah.”
“I can give you Vale.”
“We already have him.”
“You don’t know what he did.”
“I know enough.”
Cole’s voice dropped. “No, you don’t. He ordered the warehouse fire.”
Jax’s anger surged.
Cole continued, “I was supposed to die in it. So were you.”
“Why?”
“Because we both knew the names.”
Vale shouted for Cole to surrender.
Cole smiled bitterly. “He saved me because I promised to work for him.”
Jax stared at his brother.
“And you did.”
“For twelve years.”
“Then you’re not a victim.”
Cole’s face hardened.
“No.”
At least he did not lie about that.
Jax backed away from the car.
“Throw your gun out.”
Cole shook his head.
“Jax.”
“Throw it.”
“You really think prison fixes this?”
“No. But it stops you from hurting Eli.”
That landed.
Cole looked away.
Slowly, he slid the pistol across the pavement.
Vale stepped out from cover and raised his weapon.
Miriam shouted, “Vale, don’t!”
Vale fired.
Jax tackled Cole sideways.
Agents fired back, striking Vale in the leg. He collapsed, weapon skidding away.
Within seconds, both men were in cuffs.
Cole lay on the pavement staring at Jax.
“You saved me.”
Jax stood.
“No.”
He looked at the handcuffs.
“I saved the trial.”
His phone rang.
Hannah.
He answered immediately.
Her voice was shaking.
“Jax, get back here.”
“What happened?”
“It’s Aaron.”
The line went quiet for one terrible second.
May you like
Then Hannah whispered:
“He stopped breathing.”
