Chapter 7 - THE WAITRESS'S PLANAdrian learned Sarah was missing at 9:06 the next morning.
Adrian's order came before sunrise.
Sarah stood in the war room beneath Vale House, staring at twelve security monitors.
“He kidnapped a six-year-old.”
“I know.”
“Then call the FBI.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Julian has police.”
Sarah stared at him.
“You can't know that.”
“I can.”
“How?”
Adrian looked at her.
“Because I do.”
That answer reminded Sarah exactly what kind of man she was dealing with.
This wasn't merely a wealthy father.
Adrian commanded people governments couldn't always control.
But none of that power mattered while his son was missing.
His composure had become frightening.
Not because he wasn't afraid.
Because Sarah could see how much violence he was using to contain the fear.
Mason entered.
“We traced the phone.”
“And?”
“Disposable. Signal bounced through six towers.”
“Traffic cameras?”
“Working.”
“Facial?”
“Nothing yet.”
Adrian slammed both palms against the table.
“Find him.”
“We will.”
“You've been saying that for three hours.”
Mason's face tightened.
“I know.”
Sarah stepped closer.
“What does Julian want?”
Everyone looked at her.
“What?”
“He didn't take Ethan to kill him immediately.”
Adrian's eyes flashed.
“Don't.”
“I know you don't want to hear it.”
“Then don't say it.”
“But if murder were the goal, he had opportunities.”
Mason nodded.
“He's right.”
“She.”
Mason corrected himself.
“She is right.”
Adrian stared at the screens.
“He wants me.”
Sarah remembered the words.
The boy first.
The father will follow.
“Then he'll call.”
At 6:12 a.m., he did.
A black screen appeared on the central monitor.
Julian's voice came through a distorted speaker.
“Did you miss me?”
Adrian stood perfectly still.
“Let me see Ethan.”
“No greeting?”
“Show me my son.”
A video feed appeared.
Ethan sat tied to a chair.
Alive.
Terrified.
Sarah covered her mouth.
Adrian stepped toward the screen.
“Ethan.”
The child looked up.
“Daddy?”
“I'm here.”
“I want to go home.”
“I know.”
“Sarah?”
“She's here.”
Sarah moved beside Adrian.
“Hey, buddy.”
Ethan began crying.
“I'm scared.”
Sarah fought her own tears.
“Remember what we talked about after nightmares?”
He nodded.
“Five things you can see.”
“A table.”
“Good.”
“A light.”
“Good.”
“A red door.”
“Keep going.”
“A camera.”
“One more.”
Ethan looked around.
“A…a picture.”
“Perfect. Four things you can touch.”
His breathing began slowing.
Adrian looked at Sarah.
Gratitude and agony mixed in his face.
Then the image vanished.
Julian's voice returned.
“Touching.”
Adrian's expression turned murderous.
“What do you want?”
“Everything Father stole.”
“You forfeited your place.”
“Our father decided that.”
“You betrayed us.”
“Our father lied.”
“About what?”
Silence.
Then Julian laughed.
“You really don't know.”
“Know what?”
“Ask Mother who arranged the car bomb.”
Adrian froze.
Sarah's stomach tightened.
“What are you talking about?”
“The bomb that killed your precious wife.”
Adrian's hand curled into a fist.
“Don't use her.”
“Ask Mother.”
“Where is Ethan?”
“Soon.”
“What do you want?”
“Your resignation.”
“What?”
“Tomorrow at noon, you will transfer control of Vale International to the trust documents my lawyer sends.”
“That gives you a corporation.”
“And the legitimate empire beneath which the other one hides.”
Adrian's face remained cold.
“You think my men will follow you?”
“No.”
Julian paused.
“I think they'll follow whoever possesses the ledger.”
Mason turned pale.
Sarah noticed.
“What ledger?”
Adrian looked at Mason.
“You told me it was destroyed.”
Mason didn't answer.
Julian laughed again.
“Ah. Another family secret.”
Adrian stepped toward the monitor.
“If you hurt my son—”
“You'll what? Kill me?”
Julian's voice became soft.
“You've spent fifteen years threatening a dead man.”
The connection ended.
Adrian turned toward Mason.
“Explain.”
Mason swallowed.
“The Black Ledger wasn't destroyed.”
Sarah looked between them.
“What is that?”
Adrian didn't answer.
Mason did.
“A record.”
“Of?”
“Everything.”
Names.
Payments.
Judges.
Politicians.
Shipping routes.
Bribes.
Crimes.
Twenty years of secrets capable of destroying the Vale organization and dozens of powerful people connected to it.
“Where is it?”
Adrian asked.
Mason looked toward Vivienne, who had entered silently.
“In a bank vault.”
Adrian stared.
“You knew too?”
Vivienne's eyes closed.
“Yes.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“Wonderful.”
Sarah had never seen loneliness look like anger until that moment.
“Everyone protected me with lies.”
Vivienne stepped forward.
“Adrian—”
“No.”
He walked away.
Sarah followed.
She found him in the empty ballroom of the estate, standing in darkness.
“Leave me alone.”
“No.”
He turned.
“Sarah.”
“You're going to trade yourself for him.”
“Yes.”
“You don't even know if Julian will honor it.”
“I don't care.”
“I do.”
His eyes snapped to hers.
The words escaped before she could stop them.
“I care.”
Silence.
Sarah's heart slammed against her ribs.
Adrian approached.
“You shouldn't.”
“That's not really a switch people control.”
“It should be.”
“Why?”
“Because everyone I've loved becomes leverage.”
“You don't get to choose for everyone.”
“I can choose for you.”
“No, you can't.”
He stopped inches away.
“You almost died because of me.”
“I almost died because I saw somebody trying to shoot a child.”
“You came into my house and now you've been threatened, attacked, nearly abducted—”
“And I'm still here.”
“Why?”
She looked at him.
“Maybe because Ethan needs me.”
“Only Ethan?”
Sarah's throat tightened.
Adrian raised his hand.
This time, he touched her cheek.
Very gently.
She should have stepped away.
She didn't.
He lowered his forehead against hers.
“I don't know how to do this.”
“Neither do I.”
“I am not a good man.”
Sarah whispered, “I'm not asking you to be a good man.”
“What are you asking?”
“Be a good father.”
His eyes closed.
“And come back alive.”
Adrian kissed her.
Not dramatically.
Not hungrily.
Almost carefully.
As though asking permission he wasn't accustomed to needing.
Sarah kissed him back.
For several seconds the world disappeared.
Then Adrian's phone buzzed.
A message.
An address.
And a photograph of Ethan holding a newspaper.
Proof of life.
Beneath it:
COME ALONE TOMORROW.
BRING THE LEDGER.
OR YOUR SON DIES AT 12:01.
Sarah read it.
Then looked at Adrian.
“You're not going alone.”
“Yes, I am.”
“No.”
His expression hardened.
“This isn't negotiable.”
Sarah stared at him.
Then smiled faintly.
“What?”
“You're forgetting something.”
“What?”
“I've spent my entire adult life surviving on minimum wage in New York.”
Adrian frowned.
“So?”
“So negotiating with terrifying men who think they control everything?”
She stepped away.
May you like
“That's basically customer service.”
And while Adrian prepared to surrender an empire for his son, Sarah began forming a plan of her own.
Related Stories
