Chapter 10 - The Island
The man at the doors wore a Vale security uniform.
He raised a pistol.
Margaret moved before I did.
She threw herself against me.
The first shot struck the wooden pew.
We ran toward a side corridor.
Another shot cracked through the church.
Splinters exploded from the wall.
I shoved open a service door.
Cold rain hit my face.
Marcus's unmarked car screamed around the corner seconds later.
The gunman fled through the opposite alley.
We had no time to chase him.
Margaret climbed into the car.
For the first time in her life, she chose strangers over the Vale family.
Federal agents mobilized.
Weather grounded most aircraft.
A Coast Guard cutter was nearly two hours away.
We did not have two hours.
Daniel knew of a private air charter service in Portland.
By midnight, Marcus, Daniel, two federal agents, Margaret, and I were flying north through a storm.
Nobody spoke much.
Below us, lightning flashed over black water.
I kept thinking about Claire.
She had known she could die.
She kept going anyway.
The helicopter landed thirty miles from the coast.
A patrol boat carried us through violent waves toward Vale Island.
At 2:17 a.m., the estate appeared through the rain.
A stone mansion stood above the cliffs.
Almost every window was dark.
One burned blue.
Victoria's childhood bedroom.
We approached from the eastern dock.
There were no guards.
That frightened Marcus more than guards would have.
“They're expecting us,” he said.
Inside the mansion, music was playing.
A children's lullaby.
Soft.
Slow.
Wrong.
We entered through the kitchen.
The house appeared abandoned.
Then a voice came through hidden speakers.
“Elena.”
Victoria.
“I'm glad you came.”
Marcus raised his weapon.
“Victoria Vale, this property is surrounded.”
She laughed.
“No, Detective.”
A spotlight outside suddenly illuminated the water.
Our patrol boat erupted into flames.
The explosion shook the windows.
Victoria's voice returned.
“Now you're surrounded.”
Margaret went pale.
“Where is Sebastian?”
There was silence.
Then another light appeared beneath a door at the far end of the corridor.
Blue light.
We followed it.
The door opened by itself.
Inside, Sebastian Vale was tied to a chair.
Nathaniel lay unconscious on the floor.
And behind them stood Victoria.
May you like
She held a pistol against her father's head.
“Welcome to the final chapter,” she said.
