Chapter 15 - The Double Cross
"Put the gun down, Carter," Julian said, stepping forward to position his chest directly between the barrel of Carter’s weapon and Lena.
"Or what, Reed?" Carter sneered, his finger twitching on the trigger. "You’ll shoot me? You couldn't even keep your eyes on the house the night I taught my wife her place! You were ten miles out on a wild goose chase while I broke her bones like dry twigs!"
Lena stepped out from behind Julian’s shoulder. She wasn't shaking. The terror that had paralyzed her for three years had burned away into an absolute, freezing hatred.
"You didn't break me, Carter," Lena said, her voice clear and resonant over the hum of the industrial exhaust fans. "You broke yourself. Look at you. You were the golden boy of the Senate. Now you’re a fugitive rat crawling through restaurant kitchens, taking orders from whichever one of my father’s enemies threw you a scrap of bread."
Carter’s face contorted in rage. "You think this is about Elias? This is about you! You destroyed my family! My father had a stroke in federal lockup! My mother is eating off plastic trays! All because a little girl couldn't keep her mouth shut about a few off-the-books wire transfers!"
"Your family was built on extortion and blood," Lena said, taking a deliberate step toward him. "And you were the weakest link in the chain."
"Don't move, Lena!" Julian warned, his weapon trained on Carter’s forehead.
"Shoot him, Julian," Carter mocked. "Go on! Pull the trigger! But ask yourself why the police aren't here yet. Ask yourself why your radio isn't connecting to the Langley frequency."
Julian’s eyes flickered to the kitchen exit. A terrible realization washed over him.
From the service elevator behind them, the doors dinged.
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Stepping out was not a SWAT officer, but Deputy Director Marcus Thorne—the man who sat directly across from Elias Vance on the National Intelligence Council. Behind Thorne were four private contractors dressed in sterile black tactical gear.
"Good evening, Lena," Thorne said, adjusting his spectacles as if he were attending a subcommittee meeting. "I’m afraid Julian’s clearance was revoked approximately twelve minutes ago."
