Chapter 14 - Shaw’s Offer
“Leave her!”
Michael moved first.
Daniel tackled him.
“Get off me!”
“You run over there, you die.”
“That’s my wife!”
“And that’s what Shaw wants.”
Across the street, Shaw shoved Rachel into an SUV.
Then he raised a phone.
Daniel’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
Daniel answered.
Shaw’s voice was calm.
“Now we can talk.”
“You hurt her—”
“Still pretending you care about people you barely know?”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“What do you want?”
“The key.”
“You already asked.”
“And your answer was disappointing.”
Daniel looked at Ethan.
The boy stood beside Carol, crying silently.
Shaw continued.
“The key opens a safe-deposit vault. Inside is the original ledger.”
“Why not just destroy it?”
“Because the ledger isn’t only evidence.”
Daniel waited.
“It’s leverage.”
“Against who?”
Shaw laughed.
“People far above me.”
Daniel looked at Michael.
Michael was listening.
Shaw continued.
“You think Brenner matters? You think I matter?”
His voice lowered.
“We’re employees.”
“Whose?”
“Bring me the key and Rachel lives.”
Daniel stared at the burning SUV.
“And Ethan?”
“What about him?”
“You leave him alone.”
Silence.
Then Shaw said:
“You still haven’t understood.”
Daniel’s blood ran cold.
“Understood what?”
“Ethan is the only person who can open the second lock.”
Daniel looked at the boy.
Michael’s face changed.
“What second lock?”
Shaw laughed softly.
“Ask Michael.”
The call ended.
Daniel turned.
Michael wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“What is he talking about?”
Michael stayed silent.
Daniel grabbed his jacket.
“What second lock?”
Michael finally looked at Ethan.
“When he was born, Rachel created a biometric backup.”
Carol stared.
“You used a baby as a security key?”
“It wasn’t supposed to become this.”
Daniel let go of him.
“What does Shaw need?”
Michael swallowed.
“Ethan’s fingerprint.”
Ethan stepped backward.
“No.”
Daniel turned to him.
“Nobody’s touching you.”
Michael’s face went pale.
Daniel noticed.
“What?”
Michael whispered:
“That’s not all.”
“What else?”
“The vault is scheduled to erase itself.”
“When?”
Michael checked his watch.
Then looked up.
“Tomorrow at noon.”
Daniel stared at him.
“And if the ledger disappears?”
Michael’s answer was barely a whisper.
“Then Shaw doesn’t need Rachel anymore.”
The next chapters are on the left side of your screen.
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