Chapter 10 - THE MAN HER FATHER TRUSTED
Robert Harlan had carried Natalie on his shoulders when she was four.
He had bought her a bicycle when she was seven.
He had spoken at Daniel Vale’s funeral.
And apparently he had helped murder him.
Natalie sat inside Adrian’s armored SUV across from Federal Plaza.
“I want to confront him.”
“No.”
She looked at Adrian.
“You can’t solve everything by saying no.”
“I can try.”
“He was family.”
“He betrayed your family.”
“Exactly.”
Adrian studied her.
Then nodded.
“Five minutes.”
She smiled faintly.
“That was easier than expected.”
“I’m learning.”
They entered the federal building with Evelyn’s evidence copied to multiple secure locations.
Robert met them inside a private conference room.
The moment he saw Natalie, he stopped.
“Emily.”
“Don’t.”
His face aged visibly.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“My father trusted you.”
“I know.”
“You gave Victor his location.”
Robert closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Natalie’s voice broke.
“Why?”
“Because Victor had my daughter.”
Silence.
Robert sat.
“She was sixteen. He threatened to kill her.”
“So you traded my father.”
“I told myself Victor only wanted to scare him.”
“You were a federal prosecutor.”
“I was also a father.”
Natalie’s eyes filled.
“That does not make it okay.”
“No.”
His voice was broken.
“It doesn’t.”
Adrian remained near the wall.
“What happens today?”
Robert looked at him.
“Victor ordered the destruction of Daniel’s sealed archive.”
“Who has access?”
“I do.”
“And?”
“Deputy Attorney General Mason.”
Evelyn cursed.
“Another one.”
Robert nodded.
“The network still exists.”
Natalie stepped closer.
“Help us expose it.”
Robert laughed sadly.
“You think they’ll let me live?”
“No,” Adrian said.
Robert looked at him.
“But I will.”
Something in Adrian’s tone made Robert believe him.
They devised a plan.
Robert would pretend to destroy the archive.
Instead, he would transfer it into the Vale Protocol.
Natalie and Adrian would activate the release.
At 11:42 A.M., they entered the secure evidence chamber.
Two biometric readers waited.
Natalie placed her hand on one.
Adrian used the other.
ACCESS VERIFIED.
Then the computer requested:
DANIEL VALE ACCESS PHRASE.
Natalie stared.
“I don’t know.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Think.”
Childhood.
Her father’s voice.
Bedtime stories.
A sentence he said whenever she was afraid.
Natalie’s eyes widened.
She typed:
COURAGE IS WHAT YOU DO AFTER FEAR ARRIVES.
The screen turned green.
UPLOAD INITIALIZED.
Then the door locked.
Robert went pale.
“That wasn’t me.”
The ventilation system stopped.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
A warning appeared.
OXYGEN SYSTEM OFFLINE.
Natalie stared at the monitor.
Someone had trapped them underground.
Then another message appeared.
MANUAL OVERRIDE: EXECUTIVE OFFICE.
Robert whispered:
“Mason.”
Adrian looked at the upload progress.
12%.
They had minutes of air.
Natalie grabbed his hand.
“Can we stop it?”
“Yes.”
“Will that reopen the door?”
“Probably.”
She looked at him.
“And Victor wins?”
“Yes.”
Natalie turned back toward the screen.
“Then we don’t stop it.”
Adrian stared.
She smiled shakily.
“Apparently courage is what you do after fear arrives.”
May you like
The upload reached 19%.
And the oxygen warning began flashing red.
