Chapter 2 - The Copy She Never Gave Him
Mason stared at the flash drive in his palm as though it had appeared from nowhere.
Olivia felt the room tilt beneath her.
Derek’s expression did not change.
That frightened her most.
He had expected this.
Mason looked at Olivia.
“You put this in my coat?”
“No.”
“Olivia.”
“I swear.”
Derek leaned casually against the bar.
“You should listen to her.”
Mason looked at him.
Derek smiled.
“She’s telling the truth.”
Olivia’s confusion deepened.
Mason closed his fist around the drive.
“Then who did?”
Derek’s gaze moved toward the ceiling.
Mason followed it.
Tiny black security cameras sat at each corner of the lounge.
“You brought us here to watch us.”
“I brought you here because people behave very differently when they believe they’re trapped.”
Olivia looked at the locked door.
“What people?”
Derek ignored the question.
He nodded toward Mason’s hand.
“That drive contains copies of financial records, private communications, account numbers, photographs, and enough evidence to collapse a network that took fifteen years to build.”
Mason frowned.
“What network?”
Derek stared at him.
“You still don’t understand who you’re working for.”
“I work for myself.”
“No.”
Derek’s voice hardened.
“You work for someone who wanted you in this room.”
Mason shook his head.
“I came because Olivia called me.”
Olivia looked sharply at him.
“I never called you.”
Silence.
Mason pulled his phone out again.
“You called at 10:41.”
“No.”
He opened the call log.
There was her name.
OLIVIA BENNETT.
Ten minutes.
Forty-one seconds.
Mason played the voicemail.
Olivia’s voice filled the lounge.
“Mason, please come to the Monarch Club.”
Her body went cold.
“Derek won’t let me leave.”
Mason watched her.
The recording continued.
“I’m scared.”
Olivia shook her head.
“That isn’t me.”
It sounded exactly like her.
Every breath.
Every pause.
Every tremble in the voice.
Derek watched their reactions.
Mason stopped the recording.
“You’re saying someone faked your voice?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Derek answered.
“To bring you here.”
Olivia looked at him.
“By who?”
Before Derek could answer, the chandelier flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then the entire lounge went dark.
Olivia gasped.
Emergency lights switched on along the floor.
A deep red glow filled the room.
Mason immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her behind the bar.
Derek remained where he was.
He looked almost annoyed.
The electronic door unlocked.
A quiet click echoed through the darkness.
Derek cursed under his breath.
Mason heard it.
“You didn’t do that?”
“No.”
The door opened three inches.
Olivia stared at it.
A narrow line of bright hallway light sliced into the dark lounge.
Someone was outside.
Mason whispered, “Stay down.”
Olivia crouched behind the bar.
Derek reached inside his jacket again.
This time he pulled out a small folding knife.
Mason noticed.
Derek gave him a dry look.
“I assumed you preferred I stay useful.”
Footsteps approached.
Slowly.
The door opened wider.
A man in a black security uniform entered.
Olivia recognized him.
His name was Caleb.
He worked downstairs.
She had seen him dozens of times.
Derek relaxed slightly.
“Caleb.”
The guard raised his head.
Then Olivia noticed the blood on his collar.
“Mr. Vaughn.”
His voice sounded weak.
Derek approached him.
“What happened?”
Caleb stumbled.
Derek caught him.
The guard whispered something Olivia could not hear.
Then his knees buckled.
Mason rushed forward.
They lowered Caleb onto the floor.
His shirt was torn along the shoulder.
Blood darkened the fabric.
Olivia crawled closer.
“Call an ambulance.”
Mason checked his phone.
“No signal.”
Derek checked his own.
Nothing.
The televisions came on.
All six screens behind the bar lit simultaneously.
A white message appeared against a black background.
YOU HAVE ELEVEN MINUTES.
Mason stared.
Olivia’s pulse raced.
The text changed.
UPLOAD THE DRIVE.
OR THE BUILDING LOCKS DOWN.
Derek looked toward the security cameras.
“You’re inside the system.”
A voice came through the ceiling speakers.
Digitally distorted.
“You always were arrogant, Derek.”
Olivia looked up.
Derek’s face changed for the first time.
Recognition.
He knew the voice.
“Who is that?”
Derek did not answer.
The voice continued.
“Put the drive in the terminal on the east wall.”
A panel beside the television suddenly opened.
Inside was a USB port.
Mason held up the drive.
“You want this?”
Derek grabbed his wrist.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because once they copy it, everyone whose name is on that drive becomes disposable.”
Olivia stared at him.
“Including us?”
Derek looked at her.
“Especially us.”
Caleb stirred on the floor.
Olivia knelt beside him.
His eyes barely opened.
He grabbed her wrist.
“Miss Bennett.”
“I’m here.”
He struggled to speak.
“The elevator.”
“What about it?”
“Don’t use it.”
His fingers tightened.
“They’re waiting.”
Derek knelt.
“Who?”
Caleb looked at him.
“Your brother.”
Derek froze.
Olivia had known Derek for almost two years.
He had never mentioned having a brother.
Caleb’s eyes closed.
Mason looked at Derek.
“You have a brother?”
Derek stared toward the screen.
The countdown appeared.
10:12.
10:11.
10:10.
Olivia rose slowly.
“Who is he?”
Derek’s face had gone pale.
For the first time since Olivia had met him, he looked afraid.
“His name is Adrian.”
Mason said, “And?”
May you like
Derek looked at Olivia.
“And everyone in this room should hope he believes I’m already dead.”
