Chapter 9 - The Helicopter
The helicopter arrived twenty minutes later.
Veronica forced Clara into it and they flew to a private airstrip where a private jet was waiting.
"Where are you taking me?" Clara asked.
"To the Cayman Islands, of course."
"Veronica, the vault is empty."
"What?"
"It's empty. The evidence isn't there."
"Liar."
"I'm not lying. Ethan moved the evidence last week."
"Where is it?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying!"
"Veronica, I'm telling you the truth. I don't know where the evidence is."
"Then you're useless to me."
She raised the gun again.
At that moment, the helicopter lurched.
A second helicopter appeared out of nowhere, closing in fast.
"What is that?" Veronica demanded.
"I don't know."
"Who is it?"
"I don't know."
The helicopter was clearly military.
A voice boomed over the loudspeaker:
"Land the helicopter immediately."
Veronica was trapped.
---
The helicopter landed on a small island in the middle of the Caribbean.
Veronica was surrounded by armed men.
Ethan emerged from the second helicopter, unharmed and furious.
"Veronica," he said, "you're under arrest."
"You can't arrest me."
"Yes, I can. I have the evidence."
"What evidence?"
"The evidence you tried to steal. It's all been backed up. The original is safe. The duplicates are safe. You can't destroy it."
"You planned this."
"Yes. I knew you would try something like this."
"You set me up!"
"Yes, I did. And now, you'll never see the light of day again."
Veronica was led away, screaming and cursing.
Ethan turned to Clara.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm okay. The baby is okay."
"Thank God."
"How did you get here?"
"I was never captured. I set this whole thing up."
"Everything?"
"Yes. I knew she would come after you. I knew she would try to get information about the vault. So I let her find you."
"Ethan, you risked my life!"
"I never would have let anything happen to you. I had men following you the whole time."
"Ethan, you should have told me."
"Clara, I'm sorry. I should have told you."
"You lied to me."
"I know. I was trying to protect you."
"By putting me in danger?"
"The danger was always there, Clara. I just made sure I was there to protect you."
"I don't know if I can trust you."
"You can. I promise."
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"How can I trust you after this?"
"I'll spend the rest of my life proving it to you."
