Chapter 16 - Victor Changes the Rules
Victor pressed the gun against Daniel's ribs.
"Phone," he told me.
I didn't move.
"Claire," Daniel said quietly, "give it to him."
Victor smiled. "Finally, the boy learns priorities."
I took out my phone.
"You want the recording?"
"I want every copy."
"That's not how cloud backups work."
His jaw tightened.
"Then I want leverage."
He shoved Daniel toward the service door.
Police shouted from the kitchen, but Victor kept Daniel between himself and every line of sight.
I followed because he told me to.
Also because I had already pressed the emergency button on the side of my phone.
My location was being shared with Maya and Ortiz.
Victor forced us into the alley.
A delivery van waited with the engine running.
Evelyn stumbled out of the restaurant behind us.
"Victor!"
He turned.
That single second saved us.
Daniel knocked the gun hand sideways.
The shot hit brick.
I dropped behind a dumpster as Daniel and Victor crashed into the van.
Victor was stronger than he looked.
He slammed Daniel into the door and raised the gun again.
Evelyn threw herself at Victor's arm.
"Run!" she screamed at Daniel.
Victor struck her and she fell.
Daniel didn't run.
For once, he didn't freeze either.
He grabbed Victor's wrist with both hands.
I saw the gun turn toward Daniel.
I grabbed a metal trash-can lid and swung it into Victor's forearm.
The gun clattered across the pavement.
Daniel kicked it under the van.
Police flooded the alley.
Victor threw up his hands.
"All right! All right!"
Ortiz slammed him against the van and cuffed him.
I thought it was over.
Victor looked at me and laughed.
"You think that was the game?"
Ortiz tightened the cuffs.
"Save it."
He ignored her.
"Claire, ask Richard who authorized the first transfer. The one from eight years ago."
Richard had just come around the corner with Eric.
He stopped.
Victor grinned.
"Tell them, Richard."
Evelyn stared at her husband.
"What is he talking about?"
Richard looked like he might be sick.
Victor kept smiling.
"The first dirty transfer wasn't mine. It wasn't Evelyn's."
Richard closed his eyes.
Daniel whispered, "Dad?"
Richard opened them again.
"I authorized it," he said.
The alley went silent.
And suddenly the man we had treated like the victim had a secret of his own.
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