Chapter 13 - Daniel Hayes Was the First Name
Daniel laughed once.
Not because it was funny.
Because sometimes a lie was so ridiculous it deserved nothing else.
“You expect me to believe that?”
Rachel didn’t blink.
“The ledger starts with your name.”
“Then the ledger is fake.”
“It isn’t.”
Michael stepped between them.
“Rachel, stop.”
She ignored him.
“Five years ago, Daniel authorized the first transfer.”
Daniel felt anger rise.
“I authorized mission expenses.”
“You authorized an account.”
“For equipment.”
“No.”
Rachel reached slowly into her coat.
Daniel tensed.
She pulled out a folded page.
No weapon.
She tossed it across the wet pavement.
Daniel picked it up.
His signature was at the bottom.
He recognized it.
Above it were routing numbers.
Transfers.
Millions of dollars.
Daniel stared.
“I never saw this page.”
Rachel’s voice softened.
“I know.”
He looked up.
“What?”
“Shaw attached the transfer authorization behind your mission paperwork.”
Michael nodded.
“You were the clean signature.”
Daniel finally understood.
“They used me.”
“For years.”
Rachel’s eyes filled.
“When I found out, Shaw told me I had two choices. Help him control the network…”
She looked at Ethan.
“…or watch my family die.”
Ethan whispered:
“You left us.”
Rachel flinched.
“I kept you alive.”
“You let me think you were dead!”
“I know.”
“You never came back!”
“I couldn’t.”
Ethan started crying.
Michael moved toward him.
Rachel looked broken.
For one second, she was no operative.
No conspirator.
Just a mother watching her son hate her.
Then headlights appeared at the far end of the alley.
Rachel’s face changed.
“Go.”
Daniel frowned.
“What?”
“Those aren’t mine.”
The SUVs behind Rachel suddenly accelerated.
Men jumped out.
Rachel pulled a weapon.
“GO!”
Daniel grabbed Ethan.
Michael grabbed Carol.
Shots cracked through the alley.
Rachel returned fire while Daniel’s group ran.
Ethan screamed:
“Mom!”
Rachel looked back at him.
“RUN!”
A bullet struck the wall beside her.
Daniel reached the corner.
Then a massive explosion ripped through the alley.
The force threw everyone to the pavement.
Ethan looked back.
The streetlamp was gone.
One SUV burned.
Rachel was nowhere in sight.
Michael whispered:
“Rachel…”
Daniel saw movement near the flames.
A man walked through the smoke.
Victor Shaw.
He was holding Rachel by the hair.
And he was smiling.
The next chapters are on the left side of your screen.
May you like
If you enjoyed the story, bookmark my site: https://metro.treeiq.biz
New stories are posted daily, so check back for updates.
