Chapter 10 - Eighty-Two Million ReasonsThree months later, Daniel entered the Cook County courthouse without a cane.
“Don’t manipulate me.”
Daniel remained still.
“Page forty-seven.”
“I know what’s in that book.”
“No. You know what you wanted to find.”
Marcus stared at Daniel.
Daniel continued.
“My father discovered your father stealing from his own company.”
“Liar.”
“He withdrew the complaint.”
“Because they had an arrangement.”
“Yes.”
Preston’s expression changed.
Daniel slowly turned another page.
“The arrangement was that your father surrender control, liquidate personal assets, and repay the pension fund.”
“Stop.”
“My father kept him out of prison.”
“Stop.”
“He protected your family name.”
Preston shouted, “STOP!”
The word echoed through the empty warehouse.
Daniel closed the ledger.
“You spent fourteen years avenging a lie.”
Preston’s face twisted.
“My father died because of yours.”
“Your father died because he lost his company.”
“You bought it for pennies.”
“I bought assets from the bank.”
“You profited.”
“Yes.”
Daniel did not hide from that.
“I profited from a bankruptcy. That’s true.”
Preston stepped closer.
“You became rich.”
“I was already building my company.”
“You stood on his grave.”
“No.”
Daniel’s voice hardened.
“You built your life on his shame.”
Preston raised the gun toward him.
Outside, Detective Grant heard everything through Daniel’s microphone.
Snipers had limited visibility.
Marcus was too close.
Daniel was too close.
Nobody could fire safely.
“Move left,” Grant whispered into Daniel’s concealed earpiece.
Daniel took one slow step.
Preston noticed.
“Stay where you are.”
Daniel stopped.
“You know what the worst part is?”
Preston laughed bitterly.
“You’re about to tell me.”
“You could have asked.”
Preston stared at him.
“Fourteen years ago, you could have walked into my office with that accusation.”
“You fired me.”
“For selling confidential information.”
“Because I was trying to recover what your family stole.”
“You sold tenant records to a competitor.”
Silence.
“You didn’t want justice.”
Daniel looked at the weapon.
“You wanted permission.”
“For what?”
“To become cruel.”
Preston’s finger tightened around the trigger.
Marcus spoke for the first time.
“He’s right.”
Preston struck him across the face with the gun.
Daniel moved instinctively.
“Don’t!”
“Stay back!”
Marcus spat blood onto the floor.
“Touchy subject.”
Preston aimed at Daniel again.
“You think this changes anything?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Vanessa is alive.”
That hit harder than Daniel expected.
Preston froze.
“You’re lying.”
“She escaped you.”
“No.”
“She told police everything.”
Preston shook his head.
“No.”
“Ethan too.”
“Shut up.”
“They’re both cooperating.”
Preston’s breathing changed.
Daniel understood.
He had spent fourteen years controlling people through secrets.
Now every secret was collapsing.
“Your plan is finished.”
“No.”
“Police know about the poison.”
“No.”
“They recovered the recordings.”
“NO!”
Preston fired.
The gunshot exploded through the warehouse.
Daniel dropped.
Marcus screamed.
Tactical officers surged through two entrances.
Preston fired again toward the ceiling.
“BACK!”
Daniel lay on the concrete.
His vest had taken the round.
Pain crushed his chest.
He could not breathe.
Preston grabbed Marcus around the neck and dragged him backward.
“Everybody stays out!”
Police shouted commands.
Daniel struggled onto one elbow.
His heart hammered irregularly.
The warehouse blurred.
He heard Dr. Reid’s warnings.
Stress.
Cardiac damage.
Do not push yourself.
Too late.
Preston pulled Marcus toward a side door.
Daniel saw something Preston didn’t.
A tactical officer approaching behind a steel support column.
Daniel needed Preston to look away.
So he laughed.
Preston turned.
“What?”
Daniel forced himself upright.
“You lost.”
“Stay down.”
“You poisoned me for four months.”
“That was Vanessa.”
“You corrupted Ethan.”
“He corrupted himself.”
“You kidnapped Marcus.”
“He was stupid.”
“And after all that…”
Daniel gasped for breath.
“I’m still alive.”
Preston stepped away from Marcus.
Exactly what police needed.
“You think that makes you better than me?”
“No.”
Daniel smiled painfully.
“It just makes you bad at murder.”
Preston roared and pointed the gun.
The tactical officer fired.
One shot.
Preston collapsed.
His weapon skidded across the floor.
Police rushed him.
Marcus kicked the gun away.
Daniel tried to stand.
Then his heart failed.
The floor rose toward him.
He heard Marcus shouting his name.
He felt hands grabbing him.
Someone called for an ambulance.
And then everything went black.
Daniel woke thirty-six hours later.
A ventilator tube had been removed.
Rebecca sat beside him.
Marcus stood near the window with stitches above his eyebrow.
“You look terrible,” Daniel whispered.
Marcus laughed.
“You died.”
Daniel looked at Rebecca.
Her eyes filled.
“Twenty-three seconds,” she said.
“What?”
“Your heart stopped for twenty-three seconds.”
Daniel stared at the ceiling.
Five days.
The doctors had originally given him five days.
He had reached the fifth day.
And technically, he had died.
Then come back.
“What about Preston?”
“Alive,” Marcus said. “Surgery. Under guard.”
“Vanessa?”
“Still in custody at the hospital.”
“Ethan?”
“Talking like his life depends on it.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“What about me?”
Dr. Reid entered behind them.
“That depends on whether you intend to keep ignoring every medical recommendation I give you.”
Daniel smiled weakly.
“I’ll consider improving.”
Reid checked the monitor.
“The toxin has cleared.”
“And my heart?”
“Damaged.”
“How badly?”
“Less badly than we thought.”
Daniel looked at him.
Reid continued.
“Some of what appeared permanent was acute toxic injury. Your function has improved since the exposure stopped.”
Daniel almost did not understand.
“Am I dying?”
Dr. Reid smiled.
“Eventually.”
Rebecca laughed through tears.
Daniel stared.
Reid added, “But I’m withdrawing the five-day prediction.”
Daniel looked toward the window.
Morning sunlight fell across Chicago.
He had spent five days preparing to die.
Now, impossibly, he had to learn how to live again.
But surviving the poison was only the beginning.
May you like
Because the people who had tried to kill him were still going to court.
And Daniel Mercer intended to be sitting in the front row.
