Chapter 13 - The Trap
Mom refused to hide.
"I'm seventy-one years old."
She stood in Dad's hospital room with her arms crossed.
"I am not spending the night in a safe house because some overgrown criminal thinks he scares me."
Dad smiled from the bed.
"That's my girl."
"Thomas, don't encourage me."
I almost smiled.
Almost.
Then Rebecca entered.
"We found something."
She placed financial records on the table.
The missing forty-two million hadn't stayed missing.
It had moved through six shell companies.
Then portions returned as investments in companies controlled by Derek.
But the largest transfer—
Twenty-six million—
had gone to Vane.
Dad stared at the documents.
"Why?"
Rebecca looked at me.
"To purchase something."
"What?"
She turned the page.
A defense technology company.
Sentinel Dynamics.
My stomach tightened.
Sentinel manufactured navigation components used in military systems.
Now the pieces fit.
This wasn't merely family theft.
Vane had used Harrington money to quietly acquire influence in a sensitive contractor.
That explained why I had been researched.
My military position wasn't incidental.
It was a risk to their plan.
I called Marcus.
"Get this to the appropriate investigators."
"Already moving."
Dad looked at me.
"What happens now?"
"Now Vane runs."
I was wrong.
Vane wasn't running.
At 11:42 that night, hospital security called.
A man had entered the parking structure using stolen credentials.
Camera footage showed gray hair.
A dark coat.
White sneakers.
Charles Vane had come to us.
May you like
And this time—
we were waiting.
