Chapter 17 - The Glass AltarThe roof of the greenhouse was a treacherous, sloped expanse of reinforced glass, slick with rain and algae.
David’s hands shook as he crawled forward, his knees scraping against the hard surface. Flashbacks hit him like physical blows. He could hear Ethan’s tiny, terrified voice. He could see his son’s raw, red hands slipping. He could see Evelyn’s cold, lifeless smile.
Focus, David told himself, forcing the memories down. Do it for him.
He reached the apex of the roof. The environmental control unit was a large, gray metal box humming softly in the rain. David pulled a multi-tool from his pocket and began frantically unscrewing the front panel. His fingers were numb from the cold, fumbling with the tiny screws.
Clang.
The final screw fell onto the glass. David yanked the panel off. Inside, nestled beneath a tangle of colored wires and circuit boards, was a small, waterproof black hard drive.
The ledger.
He grabbed it, a surge of triumph flooding his veins. He shoved it deep into the inner pocket of his jacket, zipping it shut.
"I have to admit, David. You continue to exceed my expectations."
The voice cut through the sound of the rain, smooth and chillingly calm.
David spun around, dropping into a defensive crouch.
Standing ten feet away, perfectly balanced on the slippery glass slope, was Elias. The Wraith didn't look like a man standing in a torrential downpour on a dangerous roof. He looked completely unbothered, a suppressed pistol held casually at his side.
"Your men are drowning inside," David said, his voice steady despite the adrenaline spiking in his chest.
"They were expendable," Elias replied, taking a slow, measured step forward. "Just like you."
"If you shoot me up here, the FBI will hear the glass break," David warned, his hand inching toward his own weapon.
"I don't intend to shoot you," Elias smiled, drawing a long, serrated combat knife from his belt with his free hand. "A slip and fall. A tragic accident for a desperate fugitive trying to break into his own home. Evelyn will appreciate the poetic irony of you dying in the exact same spot your son was supposed to."
Elias lunged.
He moved with terrifying speed, his boots finding perfect traction on the glass. He slashed horizontally, aiming for David's throat.
David threw himself backward, the blade missing his neck by a fraction of an inch, slicing through the heavy fabric of his jacket. David hit the glass hard, sliding downward toward the edge of the roof. He scrambled for a handhold, his fingernails scraping uselessly against the smooth surface.
He caught the metal frame of a skylight with his left hand, his legs dangling over the edge of the two-story drop.
Elias walked slowly down the slope, standing over David. He raised the knife, preparing to sever David's fingers.
"Goodbye, David," Elias whispered.
But David didn't beg. He looked up at the assassin, his eyes burning with absolute, feral defiance.
David unclipped the heavy tactical flashlight from his belt with his right hand and hurled it upward with all his remaining strength—not at Elias, but at the glass directly beneath the assassin’s feet.
CRASH!
The reinforced glass spider-webbed, then shattered inward.
Elias’s eyes widened in sudden, profound shock. The solid ground beneath him vanished. With a sharp cry, the Wraith plummeted through the roof, crashing wildly through the iron rafters and the high-pressure sprinklers, before slamming brutally onto the stone floor of the greenhouse twenty feet below.
David didn't wait to see if Elias survived the fall.
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He hauled himself up, his muscles screaming in agony, and scrambled back to the access ladder. He had the drive. He had the key to Evelyn's destruction.
It was time to end this.
