Chapter 14 - The Boardroom Trap
At 8:57 p.m., Grant entered Mercer Dynamics through the executive lobby.
He wore no wire anyone could see.
Malik and two plainclothes officers waited one floor below. Renee monitored from a van across the street. Priya had access to the building's camera system through a warrant-supported forensic mirror.
The boardroom doors opened.
Only Elliot Crane sat inside.
"Where is everyone?" Grant asked.
Elliot smiled weakly. "Delayed."
Grant remained standing.
"You cut my brake line."
Elliot's face barely changed.
"That's an insane thing to say."
"Caroline's too?"
This time, a twitch.
Grant saw it.
Elliot stood. "You're grieving. Victor has poisoned you against everyone."
"Funny. Victor says the same thing about me."
A side door opened.
Victor walked in.
Grant's hand moved instinctively toward his radio.
Victor held up one finger. "Don't."
Ryan stepped in behind him.
He looked cleaner than Grant expected. Calm. Expensive jacket. No sign of panic.
"Where is Leah?" Ryan asked.
Grant stared at him. "Far from you."
Ryan's jaw tightened.
Victor placed a folder on the conference table.
"Sign."
Grant did not move.
"Voting authority," Victor said. "Exactly what I asked for. You sign, Elliot confirms, and this ends."
"Caroline wouldn't sign."
"Caroline was sentimental."
"So you killed her?"
Victor sighed. "You keep wanting a confession like this is television."
Elliot snapped, "Victor, stop talking."
The room went quiet.
Grant looked at Elliot.
There it was: fear.
Not fear of Grant.
Fear of Victor.
Grant pressed harder.
"Who cut the brake line?"
Victor smiled. "Ask your friend."
Elliot's face collapsed.
"You said she would stop the car before the line failed."
Victor turned slowly.
Elliot continued, voice shaking. "You said it would scare her. You said the leak would show during the warning cycle."
Victor's expression emptied.
Grant heard Renee in his hidden earpiece: Keep him talking.
Grant said, "And my car?"
Elliot looked at Ryan.
Ryan moved first.
He lunged across the table and grabbed Grant by the collar.
Chairs crashed backward.
Grant drove his shoulder into Ryan's chest, breaking the grip. Elliot stumbled toward the side door.
Victor shouted, "Take his phone!"
Then every light in the boardroom went out.
In Grant's earpiece, Priya said, "We've lost building cameras."
A second later came Malik's voice.
"Grant, get out. Someone just triggered the fire suppression system on the lower floor."
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In the darkness, Grant heard Victor whisper near his ear.
"While you're here, who's protecting Tyler?"
