Chapter 8 - MIDNIGHT AT THE SHIPYARDThe first bullet hit steel.
That became a problem when Gabriel received a photograph showing Julian Vale standing beside Victor Sloane thirty minutes away.
Gabriel stared at his phone.
Then at the man driving.
Then back at the phone.
“Pull over.”
Julian glanced at him.
“What?”
“Pull over.”
“Why?”
Gabriel raised his gun.
“Now.”
Dominic looked over.
“What happened?”
Gabriel handed him the phone.
A live security feed from Michael Rourke's hidden camera.
Anna.
Sloane.
Michael.
And Julian.
Dominic looked at his brother driving.
Then the image.
Same face.
Same height.
Same scar above the eyebrow.
Julian slowed the vehicle.
“That's impossible.”
Dominic pointed his weapon at him.
“Who are you?”
Julian's face went pale.
“Dominic.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Julian.”
“Then who is that?”
“I don't know.”
“Wrong answer.”
“Look at me!”
Dominic stared.
The voice.
Memories.
Behavior.
Everything felt right.
But Dominic had already learned how badly trust could betray him.
Gabriel ordered the convoy to stop beneath an overpass.
Julian lifted both hands.
“Check my DNA.”
“We don't have time.”
“Then ask me something only Julian would know.”
Dominic considered.
“What did Mom say the night you broke the greenhouse window?”
Julian stared.
“What?”
“You were nine.”
“I didn't break it.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
Julian laughed incredulously.
“You did!”
Dominic lowered the gun slightly.
Julian continued.
“You threw Dad's baseball through the glass and blamed me because Mom always believed you.”
Dominic remembered.
True.
Gabriel didn't lower his weapon.
“That proves childhood knowledge, not identity.”
Julian pointed at the photo.
“Zoom the left hand.”
Dominic did.
The man beside Sloane wore a black glove.
“So?”
“My left pinky.”
Julian held up his hand.
Bent slightly from an injury.
“When we were thirteen, Dominic slammed it in a car door.”
“It was an accident.”
“You laughed.”
“You screamed like a child.”
“I was a child.”
Gabriel interrupted.
“The photo?”
Dominic zoomed.
The gloved hand had a normal pinky shape.
Maybe.
Hard to tell.
Julian's expression shifted.
Then realization struck.
“No.”
“What?”
Julian looked at Dominic.
“Adrian.”
Dominic froze.
A name from childhood.
Adrian Cross.
Their cousin.
Son of Dominic's mother's sister.
He grew up with them.
Same age as Julian.
Similar build.
Similar facial structure.
He disappeared after stealing money from the family eighteen years earlier.
Dominic remembered whispers that Adrian had undergone reconstructive surgery after a fire in South America.
“You think Adrian made himself look like you?”
Julian stared at the image.
“I think Sloane made him look like me.”
Gabriel lowered the gun.
“Why?”
Julian's expression hardened.
“To replace me.”
Dominic understood.
If Julian had truly died seven years ago, Adrian could eventually emerge as him.
Inheritance.
Access.
Family authority.
But Julian survived.
Complicating Sloane's plan.
“Drive.”
They moved again.
Twenty-one minutes.
At the shipping terminal, Anna stared at the imitation of Julian.
He smiled.
“Hello, Anna.”
“You're Adrian.”
His smile widened.
“I'm impressed.”
Michael looked between them.
“You're alive?”
Adrian shrugged.
“Apparently that's a family habit.”
Sloane approached.
“For seven years, Adrian has been my insurance policy.”
Anna stared at the altered face.
“You're insane.”
“No,” Adrian said. “I'm practical.”
“You cut your face apart to steal someone's life.”
“I improved it.”
Michael's expression twisted.
“You were always pathetic.”
Adrian punched him.
Michael fell.
Sloane sighed.
“Children.”
Anna looked at the timer inside the container.
Seventeen minutes.
Sloane noticed.
“That timer is decorative now.”
“What do you want?”
“The ledger.”
“You'll never get it.”
“Oh, I think Dominic will bring it.”
“And then?”
“Then we end this family argument.”
Anna laughed bitterly.
“You think Dominic will walk in here alone?”
“No.”
Sloane smiled.
“I think he'll bring everyone I want dead.”
Sixteen minutes later, Dominic's convoy entered the terminal perimeter.
Gabriel studied thermal scans.
“Too many heat signatures.”
“How many?”
“Thirty-plus.”
Julian looked at Dominic.
“It's an ambush.”
“Yes.”
“And we're entering anyway.”
“Yes.”
Sophie had remained in an armored command vehicle three blocks away under heavy guard.
Dominic hated leaving her.
But bringing her closer was impossible.
Before he left, Sophie grabbed his hand.
“Bring Mommy.”
“I will.”
“Promise?”
He hesitated.
Promises had become dangerous.
Then nodded.
“Promise.”
Now Dominic entered Warehouse Four carrying a black case.
Gabriel and Julian remained hidden.
Dominic walked alone.
Sloane stood in the center.
Anna beside him.
Michael on his knees.
Adrian nearby.
Dominic saw Adrian.
His expression barely changed.
“That's disturbing.”
Adrian smiled.
“Hello, cousin.”
“I liked you better with your old face.”
“You barely remember it.”
“I remember enough.”
Dominic looked at Anna.
Six years vanished.
There she was.
Older.
Tired.
Beautiful.
Alive.
Anna looked at him.
Her eyes filled with emotion.
“Dominic.”
He couldn't answer for a second.
Then:
“You look terrible.”
She laughed through tears.
“So do you.”
Sloane rolled his eyes.
“Touching.”
Dominic placed the case on the floor.
“Ledger.”
Sloane nodded toward Anna.
“Case first.”
“Anna first.”
“Dominic.”
“Victor.”
They stared.
Then Sloane smiled.
“Fine.”
He pushed Anna forward.
She walked toward Dominic.
Ten feet.
Five.
Two.
Dominic caught her.
For one second, neither moved.
Anna whispered, “Sophie?”
“Safe.”
“Does she know?”
“Yes.”
Anna closed her eyes.
“Does she hate me?”
“No.”
“Do you?”
Dominic stared at her.
“Ask me tomorrow.”
She almost smiled.
Then Dominic pushed her behind him.
“Michael too.”
Sloane laughed.
“That wasn't the agreement.”
“It is now.”
“Leave him.”
Michael spoke.
“Dominic.”
Dominic looked at him.
Michael shook his head.
“Don't.”
“You killed my father.”
“Yes.”
“You betrayed us.”
“Yes.”
“You endangered Anna.”
“Yes.”
Dominic's jaw tightened.
“And you're still walking out.”
Michael stared.
“Why?”
“Because Sophie told me something tonight.”
Dominic looked at Sloane.
“Becoming worse doesn't make anyone better.”
Sloane sighed.
“Children ruin perfectly good men.”
Dominic smiled.
“Maybe.”
He kicked the case forward.
Sloane's man picked it up.
Opened it.
Laptop.
MicroSD card.
Sloane smiled.
“Finally.”
Dominic looked at his watch.
12:21.
Nine minutes until the dead-man switch.
Sloane inserted the card.
Files appeared.
“Password?”
Dominic gave it.
Sloane entered.
Access granted.
His smile grew.
Then changed.
A countdown appeared.
08:41.
“What is this?”
“Insurance.”
Sloane looked at Dominic.
“What did you do?”
“If I don't cancel that timer, everything goes public.”
Sloane's face darkened.
“You wouldn't.”
Dominic smiled.
“I'm trying something new.”
“What?”
“Accountability.”
Anna stared at him.
Sloane pulled a gun.
Dominic didn't move.
“Cancel it.”
“Release everyone.”
“No.”
“Eight minutes.”
Sloane pressed the gun to Dominic's forehead.
“Cancel it.”
“Seven fifty-eight.”
Sloane's hand shook.
Dominic saw it.
Fear.
Finally.
Then Adrian moved.
He shot Sloane's nearest guard.
Chaos erupted.
Julian and Gabriel opened fire from above.
Dominic pulled Anna behind a steel pillar.
Michael tackled Sloane.
Shots echoed.
Adrian shouted.
“I want the card!”
Of course.
Adrian hadn't betrayed Sloane out of loyalty.
He wanted the empire.
Julian descended from the catwalk.
Adrian saw him.
Two men with nearly identical faces stared across the warehouse.
Adrian smiled.
“Hello, brother.”
Julian raised his weapon.
“You're not my brother.”
“No.”
Adrian lifted his gun.
May you like
“But I'll take your life anyway.”
They fired.
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