Chapter 9 - TWO HOURS AWAYLily wanted to come.
The bullet had struck high in his shoulder.
He collapsed against the desk, clutching the wound.
Shore swung his gun toward Kerr.
“Put it down.”
Kerr didn't.
“You said nobody else dies.”
Shore laughed.
“After everything you've done, now you develop principles?”
“I cleaned reports. I moved evidence. I didn't sign up for executions.”
“Your conscience is twelve years late.”
Kerr's jaw tightened.
“Maybe.”
Lily's eyes met mine.
Her right wrist was tied.
Left hand free.
A plastic zip tie lay around one ankle.
She had been working herself loose.
Of course she had.
Outside the door, Nora called through a loudspeaker.
“Calvin Shore! Federal agents! Put down your weapon!”
Shore looked toward the window.
Then at me.
“You brought Beck.”
“She found you.”
“Same difference.”
He dragged Lily upright.
Her face tightened in pain.
I took one step.
Shore aimed at her.
“Don't.”
I stopped.
Victor groaned from the floor.
Kerr moved slightly.
Shore noticed.
“Samuel.”
Kerr froze.
“Drop the gun.”
“No.”
“This ends one way.”
“For you.”
Shore smiled.
“You think Beck will protect you?”
“No.”
“Then what are you doing?”
Kerr looked at Lily.
Then at Victor bleeding beside the desk.
“Trying to make one decent choice before I go to prison.”
That was the first thing about him I believed.
Shore's eyes hardened.
Then the lights went out.
Marcus.
Emergency darkness flooded the room.
Lily dropped.
I heard Shore fire.
Kerr fired back.
Glass shattered.
I moved toward where Lily had fallen.
“Ethan!”
“I've got you.”
My hand found her shoulder.
I pulled her behind a concrete support column.
“Stay down.”
“I'm trying.”
The lights flickered back through emergency fixtures.
Kerr lay against the wall.
Blood spread across his side.
Shore had disappeared through a rear door.
Victor remained on the floor.
I cut Lily's restraints using a broken piece of metal.
She grabbed my face with both hands.
For one second, the entire warehouse disappeared.
“You came home,” she whispered.
“I told you I would.”
Then she kissed me.
Brief.
Shaking.
Alive.
Agents burst into the room.
“Nobody move!”
“Nora!” Lily shouted.
Agent Beck entered with her weapon raised.
She saw Lily.
Then me.
Then Victor.
Then Kerr.
“Where's Shore?”
“Rear exit.”
Agents moved.
Nora knelt beside Lily.
“You okay?”
“I've had better weeks.”
Nora laughed once through obvious relief.
Paramedics entered behind the tactical team.
I stayed beside Lily.
Kerr lifted one hand weakly.
“Cole.”
I looked over.
“Recorder.”
“What?”
“Pocket.”
An agent checked him.
Inside Kerr's coat was a tiny digital recorder.
Nora took it.
Kerr coughed.
“I recorded Shore.”
“How long?”
“Months.”
Nora stared at him.
“You had evidence?”
“I needed insurance.”
“You could've stopped this.”
“Yes.”
No excuses.
No moral speech.
Just yes.
Kerr looked at Lily.
“I'm sorry.”
She stared at him.
“You falsified Jasmine Reed's blood test.”
His face went pale.
“Yes.”
“Then apologize to Malcolm.”
Kerr closed his eyes.
Fair answer.
Outside, shouting erupted.
Then gunfire.
Lily gripped my sleeve.
I looked toward the broken window.
Agents chased someone between the warehouses.
Shore.
A black SUV accelerated from behind the building.
It smashed through a chain gate.
Police vehicles followed.
Nora cursed.
“He's running.”
“He won't get far.”
“You sound confident.”
I looked toward the river road.
“There's only one vehicle bridge out.”
“How do you know?”
“Lily complained about traffic every time Meridian had meetings here.”
Lily managed a tired smile.
“I complain productively.”
Agents radioed the road units.
The chase lasted six minutes.
Shore never reached the bridge.
His SUV struck a construction barrier after officers deployed a tire-deflation device.
He survived.
More importantly, he surrendered.
Lily had asked me to make them live long enough to hear the verdict.
Now one would.
Victor was transported under guard.
Kerr too.
Rourke was arrested downstairs.
Three other Meridian employees were taken into custody.
But something still bothered me.
The young man from the parking garage.
The one whose reaction suggested he'd been responsible for Lily's worst injuries.
He wasn't there.
“Where's Tyler?” Lily asked.
“Tyler?”
“Tyler Dane.”
Victor's son.
My stomach dropped.
“The young guy in the garage?”
She nodded.
“He's the one who attacked me.”
“Victor's son?”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
Lily's face changed.
“I don't know.”
Nora heard us.
She immediately radioed the name.
No result.
Victor, conscious enough to speak, laughed from his stretcher.
“You won't find him.”
I turned.
“Where is he?”
Victor smiled despite the pain.
“Gone.”
Nora stepped closer.
“Victor, your cooperation determines whether prosecutors even consider a deal.”
“My son had nothing to do with this.”
Lily stared at him.
“He broke my arm.”
Victor looked away.
There it was.
The one loyalty he still had.
His son.
“Where is Tyler?” Nora repeated.
Victor said nothing.
Then Malcolm entered under escort.
His eyes landed on Kerr.
Everything in him changed.
Kerr looked back.
No words could fix that moment.
Malcolm walked toward Lily instead.
“You okay?”
She nodded.
“Thanks to Ethan.”
“Thanks to you,” I said.
Malcolm shook his head.
“I should've gotten her out sooner.”
Lily reached for his hand.
“You warned me.”
Victor watched them.
Then suddenly said, “Tyler has the third copy.”
Everyone turned.
“What?” Nora asked.
Victor looked exhausted.
“He found Lily's backup before Rourke did.”
My stomach tightened.
“Where?”
“At her office.”
Lily shook her head.
“No. That copy was encrypted.”
“He doesn't care about reading it.”
“Then why take it?”
Victor looked at me.
“Because Tyler thinks it proves Lily framed him.”
“That makes no sense.”
“He's not rational.”
Lily whispered, “Oh God.”
“What?”
She looked at me.
“My parents.”
Cold spread across my chest.
“They live two hours away.”
“Tyler knows.”
“How?”
“He drove me to the company retreat last year. I mentioned where I grew up.”
Nora was already calling state police.
Lily grabbed my arm.
“Ethan, he blames me for Victor getting arrested.”
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Nobody moved.
I answered.
“Hello?”
A man's voice.
Young.
Shaking.
“You took my father.”
Tyler.
Behind him, I heard a woman crying.
Lily's mother.
May you like
Then Tyler said:
“Now I'm taking your family.”
