Chapter 11 - THE NIGHT THE TOWER WENT DARK
Dwayne’s first instinct was violence.
His second was Addison.
That difference saved her life.
“Floor.”
She dropped immediately.
Glass shattered behind them.
Nathan crawled toward the desk.
Margaret froze.
Celeste dragged her down.
Dwayne reached the secure drawer.
Gun.
Addison saw it.
“Don’t.”
He stared.
“Bad timing.”
“If Simon wants evidence, he wants you reacting exactly like this.”
Dwayne understood.
A firefight inside Cross Logistics would support Simon’s story that Dwayne and Elias ran a violent syndicate.
He put the gun down.
Margaret looked shocked.
“Who are you?”
“Apparently evolving.”
They activated the silent alarm and moved through a maintenance corridor.
Simon’s men controlled the main stairs.
Dwayne knew every hidden passage in the building.
For once, criminal paranoia became useful.
They reached the server floor.
Addison stopped.
“The ledgers.”
“What?”
“If Simon gets servers, he deletes everything proving the weapon shipments were his.”
Dwayne nodded.
“We copy first.”
She sat at a terminal.
Cardigan sleeves rolled up.
Hair falling from the bun.
Glasses reflecting green code.
Dwayne watched her work.
She looked more dangerous behind a keyboard than most men did with guns.
“Five minutes.”
“You have two.”
“Then stop talking.”
Fair.
Nathan almost smiled.
Two minutes fourteen seconds later, encrypted files uploaded to three external locations.
Addison stood.
“Done.”
Then Simon appeared at the end of the corridor.
Alone.
Gun raised.
“Really?”
He looked at Dwayne.
“You’re choosing her?”
Dwayne frowned.
“This was never a romantic competition, Simon.”
Simon laughed.
“You think she’s different?”
“She is.”
Addison glanced at him.
Not now.
Dwayne continued.
“You underestimated her because you underestimate everyone who isn’t loud.”
Simon’s gun shifted toward Addison.
Dwayne moved.
Addison moved faster.
She threw a metal fire extinguisher handle into Simon’s wrist.
The shot hit the ceiling.
Nathan tackled him low.
Security arrived.
Simon was restrained.
No one died.
Dwayne stood over his oldest friend.
“Why?”
Simon looked up.
“Because you were wasting everything Vincent built.”
“By trying to clean up?”
“By becoming weak.”
Dwayne almost smiled.
“Funny.”
“What?”
“I used to agree.”
Federal agents entered minutes later.
This time, Dwayne did not call lawyers to block them.
He handed them the drive.
All of it.
Cross accounts.
Simon’s weapons network.
Vincent’s old crimes.
Dwayne’s own.
Addison looked at him.
He nodded once.
Choice made.
Hours later, the U.S. Attorney asked to speak with Addison privately.
She returned pale.
“What?”
“They offered me immunity.”
Dwayne nodded.
“You should take it.”
“For helping you repair fraudulent ledgers.”
“Yes.”
“I committed crimes.”
“Yes.”
She stared.
“You’re not going to ask me to protect you?”
“No.”
That answer changed something.
Then she said:
“They also offered me witness status.”
“Against me?”
“Yes.”
Dwayne held her gaze.
“Tell the truth.”
Addison’s expression softened.
Before leaving, the prosecutor handed Dwayne one sealed document recovered from Simon’s safe.
A contract.
Signed two years earlier.
ADDISON LYNWOOD — TERMINATION UPON DISCOVERY.
Dwayne looked at the authorization.
His own digital signature.
May you like
He had never signed it.
Someone inside his office had approved Addison’s death using his identity.
