Chapter 8 - THE VAN
Belle slapped Renick before anybody could stop her.
Again.
Harder this time.
“This is your world.”
He took it.
“Yes.”
“My son is in it.”
“Yes.”
“Fix it.”
His jaw tightened.
“I will.”
“That sounded like a promise.”
“It is.”
“Don’t make promises because you’re angry.”
He looked at her.
That landed.
The van disappeared from traffic cameras near the Mystic River.
Sebastian Byrne knew every Kavanaugh camera location.
Every safe house.
Every response pattern.
Declan suggested using the ledger as bait.
Belle wanted to use Declan as bait.
Nobody laughed.
Then Micah’s watch pinged.
Cheap plastic watch.
Belle bought it because he kept getting lost in grocery stores.
It had a child locator.
Sebastian’s men had taken Micah’s phone.
They ignored the watch.
The signal came from an abandoned ferry maintenance building.
Renick ordered a team.
Belle grabbed her coat.
“No.”
She stared at him.
He sighed.
“Fine.”
“That was fast.”
“I’m learning.”
At the ferry building, police and federal agents held perimeter.
Renick went inside wearing a wire.
Belle stayed in the van.
For thirty seconds.
Then she got out.
Sully cursed.
She ignored him.
Inside, Sebastian stood behind Micah and Brinley.
No dramatic mask.
No gun to a child’s head.
He wore a camel coat and looked irritated.
Like somebody delayed dinner.
“Renick.”
“Sebastian.”
“You brought the ledger?”
“No.”
Sebastian smiled.
“Then why are we talking?”
Brinley saw Belle behind a steel column.
Her eyes widened.
Belle put one finger to her lips.
Micah saw too.
Then did something stupid.
Beautifully stupid.
He sneezed on purpose.
Sebastian looked down.
Micah kicked his shin.
Brinley ran.
Everything exploded.
Renick tackled one man.
Sully fired at another.
Belle ran toward the children.
Sebastian grabbed Micah’s hood.
Belle hit Sebastian with a fire extinguisher.
Not elegant.
It made a horrible metal sound.
Sebastian fell.
Micah screamed.
Belle dropped the extinguisher.
“Sorry.”
“Why are you saying sorry?”
“I don’t know.”
Brinley started laughing.
Wrong time.
Nobody cared.
Then a shot cracked.
Renick staggered.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Belle caught Brinley before she ran to him.
Renick looked down at the wound.
Then at Sully.
Sully held the smoking gun.
Belle’s heart stopped.
Sully stared at it too.
“I didn’t—”
Another shot hit the wall beside him.
From above.
A hidden shooter.
Sebastian smiled from the floor.
May you like
“You still don’t know who works for me.”
