Chapter 8 - THE OLD PIER
I knew it was a trap.
I went anyway.
At midnight, the old pier was nearly empty.
The ocean was black beneath the moon.
Wind pushed cold air through my uniform.
I carried no visible weapon.
But I wasn't alone.
Reed was positioned two hundred yards away.
Mercer watched from a vehicle.
Brock had insisted on coming.
I had told him no.
He came anyway.
The pier lights flickered.
Then a figure stepped from the shadows.
Jonathan Vale.
He looked older than the photographs.
But his eyes were unchanged.
“Avery Hayes.”
“Where's my brother?”
“Alive.”
“Where?”
“Safe.”
“You don't get to use that word.”
He smiled.
“You sound like your father.”
“My father trusted you.”
“And he regretted it.”
“You killed him.”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Vale looked toward the ocean.
“Your father wasn't murdered because he wanted to expose us.”
“Then why?”
“Because he wanted to take the money.”
I stared.
“That isn't true.”
Vale's expression softened.
“You want the truth to be clean.”
“No.”
“You want your father to be innocent.”
I said nothing.
“Your father took millions from the network.”
“Why?”
“To protect you.”
That stopped me.
“He knew they would come after his family.”
“So he stole from them.”
“Yes.”
“And Michael?”
“Michael discovered the theft.”
“He turned against Dad?”
“No.”
Vale shook his head.
“Michael protected him.”
I felt my throat tighten.
“What happened at Black Harbor?”
Vale answered.
“Your brother tried to destroy the ledger.”
“Why?”
“Because it contained the names of everyone involved.”
“And you wanted it.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted the network to survive.”
I looked at him.
“People died.”
“Yes.”
“Families were destroyed.”
“Yes.”
“You still call that survival?”
His face tightened.
“You have no idea what would have happened if that network collapsed overnight.”
“Then explain.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because there are still people benefiting from it.”
I looked around.
“Who?”
Vale smiled.
“That's the question.”
A vehicle approached the pier.
I turned.
Brock stepped out.
Vale looked surprised.
“You brought Sullivan.”
Brock raised his weapon.
“It's over.”
Vale laughed.
“No.”
Brock's voice shook.
“You ruined my career.”
“I gave you one.”
“You destroyed my wife.”
Vale's expression changed.
“Laura chose her own path.”
Brock stepped closer.
“You had her killed.”
“No.”
“She knew too much.”
“She knew the wrong person.”
I looked at him.
“Who?”
Vale didn't answer.
Instead, he looked toward the water.
A small boat emerged from the darkness.
Someone stood at the bow.
My heart stopped.
Michael.
He stepped onto the pier.
Older.
Scarred.
Alive.
I couldn't move.
He looked at me.
“Avery.”
My legs nearly failed.
I walked toward him.
Then I stopped.
“You're real.”
He smiled.
“Unfortunately.”
I laughed through tears.
Then I hit him in the chest.
Once.
“You idiot.”
He smiled.
“I know.”
I hugged him.
He held me tightly.
For a few seconds, everything disappeared.
Then Michael whispered.
“We don't have much time.”
I stepped back.
“What happened?”
He looked at Vale.
“He isn't the one you should be afraid of.”
Vale's face tightened.
Michael continued.
“There are people above him.”
“Who?”
Michael looked at me.
“People who don't wear uniforms.”
Brock stared.
“Politicians.”
Michael shook his head.
“Worse.”
He handed me a small memory card.
“This contains the original network records.”
I looked at it.
“Why didn't you release them?”
“Because half the names would cause a national crisis.”
“And the other half?”
“Would expose people who had nothing to do with it.”
I understood.
He hadn't stayed hidden out of cowardice.
He had been trying to protect innocent people.
Then Vale stepped forward.
“Give it to me.”
Michael shook his head.
“No.”
Vale raised his weapon.
Brock moved.
A shot cracked across the pier.
Vale dropped his weapon.
Reed's team emerged from the darkness.
Mercer stepped forward.
“Jonathan Vale, you're under arrest.”
Vale looked at him.
“You still don't understand.”
Mercer replied, “Maybe not.”
Then a black SUV appeared at the end of the pier.
A man stepped out.
Senator Elias Voss.
He looked at Michael.
Then at me.
“You should have stayed dead.”
Michael's expression changed.
Voss smiled.
“You found the wrong enemy.”
He raised a folder.
Inside was one document.
My name was printed across the top.
Below it:
AUTHORIZED OPERATIONAL COMMANDER — BLACK HARBOR.
I stared.
“What is that?”
Voss smiled.
“Your signature.”
I shook my head.
“I never signed it.”
Michael looked at me.
“You didn't.”
Voss's smile widened.
May you like
“That's what I need you to prove.”
Then every light on the pier went out.
