Chapter 19 - The Vault
At 11:41 a.m., Daniel walked into Lakeshore Trust.
Shaw beside him.
Michael and Rachel behind them.
Nobody trusted anybody.
They didn’t have time to care.
Caldwell had Ethan.
The private elevator carried them underground.
No music.
No conversation.
At the bottom, steel doors opened.
Senator Caldwell waited.
Perfect suit.
Perfect hair.
Perfect smile.
Ethan stood beside him.
Carol was there too.
Crying.
“I’m sorry, Daniel.”
Ethan saw his parents.
“Mom!”
Rachel moved forward.
Caldwell raised one hand.
A guard stopped her.
“Key.”
Daniel held it up.
Caldwell looked at Ethan.
“Fingerprint.”
Ethan shook his head.
“No.”
Caldwell smiled.
“Children misunderstand how little power they have.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Touch him and you don’t get the key.”
Caldwell’s smile faded.
“You always were difficult.”
“You always were a coward.”
Shaw laughed softly.
Caldwell looked at him.
“And you.”
Shaw’s smile disappeared.
“You’ve become expensive.”
Caldwell raised two fingers.
The guards turned their weapons toward Shaw.
Shaw stared.
“So that’s it?”
“You were useful.”
“Victor…”
“You should have retired.”
Shaw slowly looked at Daniel.
For the first time, the two men understood exactly where they stood.
Disposable.
Daniel tossed the key onto the floor.
Everyone looked down.
Ethan moved.
He stomped on Caldwell’s foot and ran.
Rachel grabbed him.
Michael tackled one guard.
Shaw attacked another.
Daniel drove Caldwell into the vault door.
Alarms screamed.
The key skidded beneath a table.
Carol grabbed it.
“Daniel!”
She threw it.
He caught it.
Michael shouted:
“Eleven fifty-eight!”
Daniel slammed the key into the first lock.
Ethan pressed his finger against the second.
A green light appeared.
The vault opened.
Inside sat one black case.
Daniel grabbed it.
Caldwell laughed behind him.
“You think that saves you?”
Daniel opened the case.
Empty.
Everyone froze.
Michael stared.
“No.”
Rachel whispered:
“Where’s the ledger?”
Caldwell smiled.
“I moved it years ago.”
Daniel looked inside the case again.
There was only one object.
A phone.
It began ringing.
Daniel answered.
A man’s voice said:
“Hello, Mr. Hayes.”
Daniel frowned.
“Who is this?”
The voice chuckled.
“The man Senator Caldwell works for.”
Caldwell’s smile vanished.
And for the first time since Daniel met him…
the senator looked terrified.
The next chapters are on the left side of your screen.
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