Chapter 7 - The Lie That Started a War
By dawn, the west wing was blackened with smoke.
Damian stood among the ruins of his bedroom.
The bed was destroyed.
The windows were gone.
Rain had blown across the marble floor.
Beatrice stopped behind him.
“Sentimental?”
“No.”
“You're staring at the bed.”
“I'm staring at where my life became complicated.”
She almost smiled.
“You mean when someone tried to blow you up?”
“I mean when I found a maid sleeping there.”
Beatrice folded her arms.
“I was hiding.”
“You were sleeping.”
“Accidentally.”
“Very comfortably.”
She gave him an annoyed look.
For a moment, the nightmare surrounding them receded.
Then Damian noticed blood on her sleeve.
His expression changed.
“You're hurt.”
“It's a scratch.”
He reached for her arm.
She let him examine it.
Small.
Nothing serious.
Still, he looked angry.
“Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Getting hurt.”
“I'll put it on my schedule.”
He looked at her.
Then laughed.
It was the first time she had heard the sound.
It changed him.
For half a second, Damian Costello looked like an ordinary man.
Then Clara entered.
The moment disappeared.
“We found something in Leo's coat.”
She handed Damian a note.
MIDNIGHT. UNION STATION. BRING THE LEDGER. COME ALONE OR THE NEXT DEVICE WILL NOT HAVE A TIMER.
Beatrice read it.
“It's a trap.”
“Obviously,” Damian said.
Clara grabbed his arm.
“You can't go.”
“I have to.”
“No.”
“He wants the ledger.”
“He wants you.”
Damian looked at his sister.
“Then I'll give him the opportunity.”
Beatrice knew that expression now.
He had already decided.
At midnight, Damian entered Union Station alone.
Or appeared to.
His men were positioned throughout the building.
Beatrice remained in a surveillance van.
She hated it.
At 12:07, Richard appeared.
Damian saw him from across the enormous hall.
Richard smiled.
“You brought it?”
Damian held up a bag.
“You brought fifteen years of explanations?”
Richard walked closer.
“You still think this is personal.”
“You kidnapped my sister.”
“I saved her.”
“From whom?”
“You.”
Damian's face hardened.
Richard continued.
“Your father knew what you would become.”
“You knew my father?”
“Better than you did.”
“Then tell me why he tried to expose you.”
Richard's smile faded.
Damian understood.
He had hit something real.
“My father discovered the accounts.”
Richard said nothing.
“He gave Margaret Hayes the evidence.”
Still nothing.
“He knew you were stealing from him.”
Richard finally spoke.
“Vittorio was weak.”
“And you killed him.”
In the van, Beatrice stopped breathing.
Richard smiled.
“Yes.”
Clara, listening beside Bea, began crying.
Damian stood completely still.
“You killed my father.”
“I corrected a problem.”
“And Clara?”
“She discovered too much.”
“The Pendletons had nothing to do with her disappearance.”
“No.”
“Hundreds of people died.”
Richard shrugged.
“Wars are useful.”
Damian's hand curled.
Richard stepped closer.
“Give me the ledger.”
“No.”
Richard sighed.
Then every screen in the surveillance van went black.
Beatrice stood.
“Damian?”
No answer.
Gunfire erupted inside the station.
Clara screamed.
Beatrice ran from the van.
By the time she entered, people were fleeing.
She saw Damian near the central stairs.
Richard had disappeared.
Then Bea saw a red laser dot moving across Damian's chest.
“DAMIAN!”
She ran.
The shot fired.
She hit him from the side.
They fell.
The bullet struck the stone behind them.
Damian rolled, weapon raised.
The sniper was gone.
He looked down at Bea.
“You were supposed to stay in the van.”
“I've noticed I'm bad at following your rules.”
His hands moved over her shoulders.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“You're sure?”
“Yes.”
Their faces were inches apart.
For one strange second, neither moved.
Then Damian whispered:
“You keep saving my life.”
“Maybe you should stop needing it.”
His mouth almost curved.
Then sirens approached.
Damian stood and pulled her up.
Richard had escaped again.
But this time they had his confession recorded.
Richard had murdered Vittorio.
Kidnapped Clara.
Manufactured the Pendleton war.
And attempted to kill Damian.
The truth could destroy him.
Unless Richard destroyed them first.
Back at the estate, Damian found another message waiting.
Not from Richard.
From someone named Pendleton.
You finally know we didn't kill your sister. Now perhaps you're ready to hear what your family did to ours.
Damian read it twice.
May you like
The old war was not finished.
It had merely been waiting for the truth.
