Chapter 14 - The Betrayal
Daniel's confession hurt differently than Victoria's cruelty.
I trusted cruelty from her.
I had trusted him.
He explained quickly.
Years earlier, before he knew the truth, his cybersecurity company built encrypted logistics software for the Vale Foundation.
The system concealed children's identities during supposed emergency relocations.
Daniel believed it protected abuse victims.
By the time he discovered the system was being used for illegal transfers, Victoria had already adapted it.
“I've been trying to break it ever since,” he said.
Victoria laughed.
“You built a system even you can't break.”
Daniel looked at me.
“There is one master recovery key.”
“Where?”
He looked toward Victoria.
“She has it.”
Victoria raised the gun again.
“No.”
Sebastian appeared behind Daniel.
His wrists were bleeding from the restraints, but he was free.
Nathaniel and Marcus were behind him.
Sebastian looked at his daughter.
“Actually, I have it.”
Victoria's face emptied.
“What?”
Sebastian held up a black card.
“For thirty years, you believed I was afraid of you.”
“You were.”
“Yes.”
He stepped closer.
“But frightened men prepare.”
Victoria aimed the gun at him.
Sebastian smiled sadly.
“You always thought fear made me weak.”
“No.”
“It made me patient.”
He tossed the card toward Daniel.
Victoria fired.
Sebastian jerked backward.
Margaret screamed.
Marcus fired once.
Victoria's pistol flew from her hand.
She collapsed against the bed.
The bullet had struck her shoulder.
Sebastian fell.
Margaret reached him first.
Blood spread across his shirt.
He looked at her.
“I never deserved you.”
She pressed both hands over the wound.
“No.”
Her voice broke.
“You didn't.”
For the first time, Sebastian almost laughed.
Daniel grabbed the black card and inserted it into a secure reader from his bag.
Encrypted directories appeared.
Thirty-two names.
Thirty-two current locations.
Some were in the United States.
Others were in Canada.
Mexico.
France.
Switzerland.
Two were on private yachts.
One was inside a diplomatic residence.
Marcus stared at the screen.
“This is bigger than Vale.”
Sebastian coughed.
“It always was.”
Sirens echoed faintly outside.
Federal backup had arrived by helicopter.
Victoria sat against the wall, holding her bleeding shoulder.
Her eyes met mine.
“You think this ends because you found a list?”
I looked at her.
May you like
“No.”
“It ends because the world finally knows where to look.”
