Chapter 7 - Midnight at St. Augustine's
St. Augustine's had been abandoned for seventeen years.
Its stone walls were blackened by weather.
Stained-glass windows were broken.
The bell tower leaned slightly toward the street as if the entire building had grown tired.
At 11:58 p.m., Harper stood beneath the crumbling archway with Roman beside her.
Roman had objected to her coming.
Harper had ignored him.
Eventually they compromised.
Roman's men surrounded the area several blocks away.
No visible weapons.
No obvious support.
The pendant hung around Harper's neck again.
Empty.
The microchip was somewhere else.
Roman had made a duplicate.
Viktor would receive the copy.
Harper's mother would be rescued.
That was the plan.
Plans, Harper had learned, were simply optimistic versions of the future.
Roman touched her elbow.
"Last chance."
"I'm going."
"If anything changes, you leave."
"With my mother."
"Harper."
"With my mother."
His jaw tightened.
"You're impossible."
"Derek used to say stubborn."
"He lacked imagination."
Despite everything, Harper smiled.
Roman looked at her mouth.
For a moment the church disappeared.
The danger disappeared.
There was only the strange electricity that had grown between them over two impossible days.
Harper whispered, "Roman."
His eyes lifted.
"If this goes badly—"
"It won't."
"Don't."
"What?"
"Don't make promises just to stop me from being scared."
Roman stared at her.
Then he touched her cheek.
"I won't."
"Good."
"But I will tell you something true."
"What?"
"If anything happens inside that building, I will choose your life over the ledger."
Harper swallowed.
"Even if it means losing Viktor?"
"Without hesitation."
The answer frightened her in a completely different way.
Before she could respond, the church doors opened.
Marcus Vale stood inside.
Roman's cousin.
The traitor.
"Touching," Marcus said.
Roman's hand dropped.
"Where is Eleanor Quinn?"
"Inside."
Harper's chest tightened.
Marcus searched them.
Roman had hidden a small ceramic blade beneath his belt, but Marcus's detector found nothing.
Harper carried no weapon.
They entered.
Candles illuminated the ruined sanctuary.
At the front, beneath a cracked wooden cross, Viktor Saran sat in a chair.
He was older than Harper expected.
Late sixties.
Silver hair.
Elegant charcoal suit.
He looked like a retired professor.
That made him more disturbing.
Eleanor Quinn sat nearby, wrists tied.
"Mom."
Her mother looked up.
"Harper!"
Harper moved.
Marcus blocked her.
Viktor raised one hand.
"Let them greet each other."
Marcus stepped aside.
Harper ran to her mother.
Eleanor's eyes filled with tears.
"What are you doing here?"
"Getting you home."
"You shouldn't have come."
"That seems to be everyone's favorite sentence lately."
Eleanor almost laughed through tears.
Harper touched her face.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
Harper turned toward Viktor.
"Let her go."
Viktor smiled.
"Daniel's courage."
Roman stepped forward.
"You wanted us. We're here."
Viktor's gaze shifted.
"Roman Vale."
"Viktor."
"You've become very much like your father."
Roman's eyes went cold.
"I consider that an insult."
Viktor laughed.
"As you should."
Harper frowned.
Viktor gestured toward the pendant.
"The key."
Harper removed it.
"First my mother."
"No."
"You said—"
"I said bring it."
Roman spoke.
"You get the key after Eleanor walks outside."
Viktor sighed.
"This is why negotiation with younger men becomes tiresome. So much theater."
Roman's expression remained flat.
Viktor leaned back.
"Do you know why Daniel Quinn died?"
Harper's heart tightened.
"You called us here for the key."
"I called you here because history deserves witnesses."
Roman said, "We don't care."
Harper looked at him.
He was lying.
Viktor smiled.
"Oh, but you do."
He nodded toward Marcus.
Marcus placed an old folder on a table.
Viktor continued.
"Nine years ago Daniel discovered I had a problem."
"The trafficking," Harper said.
"Among other things."
"You murdered people."
"I conducted business."
Harper's disgust showed.
Viktor shrugged.
"Your father had similar moral objections."
Roman's voice hardened.
"Get to the point."
"Daniel collected enough evidence to end my relationship with your father."
Roman's jaw tightened.
"He contacted you."
"Yes."
"He believed you might oppose me."
Roman said nothing.
Viktor smiled.
"He was correct."
Harper looked at Roman.
Roman had told her he'd dismissed Daniel's warning.
Maybe he hadn't dismissed all of it.
Viktor continued.
"Your father, however, preferred stability."
Roman's expression turned dark.
"My father told you where Daniel was."
"No."
The word changed everything.
Roman froze.
Viktor smiled.
"Surprised?"
"Who did?"
"Julian."
Roman went completely still.
Harper whispered, "Your brother?"
Roman stared at Viktor.
"You're lying."
"Am I?"
Viktor opened the folder.
Inside was a photocopy of a message.
Julian Vale's name at the top.
Location details.
Harper watched Roman's face drain.
"No."
Viktor continued.
"Julian was young. Frightened. He believed Daniel's evidence would ignite a war between our families."
Harper felt sick.
"So he betrayed my father."
"For an hour."
"What does that mean?"
"Julian changed his mind."
Viktor's smile vanished.
"He tried to rescue Daniel."
Roman stared.
Viktor continued.
"Your brother arrived before my men."
Harper's pulse quickened.
"And?"
"And Daniel refused to leave."
"Why?"
Viktor looked directly at Roman.
"Because my men had already located Roman."
Roman's face changed.
Harper whispered, "What?"
Viktor smiled again.
"Daniel traded himself."
Silence filled the church.
Harper's throat tightened.
Her father.
A man Roman barely knew.
"He gave you his location so you'd leave Roman alone?"
"Essentially."
Roman looked physically struck.
Viktor continued.
"Julian spent the next six years trying to undo what he had done."
"That's why he investigated you," Harper whispered.
"Yes."
Roman's voice was barely audible.
"And you killed him."
Viktor didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Roman stepped forward.
Marcus raised his gun.
Harper grabbed Roman's sleeve.
"Not yet."
His body shook with controlled rage.
Viktor looked delighted.
"Daniel Quinn saved your life, Roman."
Roman stared at Harper.
She saw guilt.
Old guilt multiplied by new.
Viktor continued.
"And Julian died trying to avenge him."
Harper said, "You killed both."
Viktor's gaze shifted.
"Careful."
"You did."
Harper moved away from her mother.
"Men like you always make yourselves sound inevitable. Business. Stability. Agreements."
Viktor's eyes narrowed.
"But you're just a coward who kills people when they make you uncomfortable."
Marcus tightened his weapon.
Roman whispered, "Harper."
She ignored him.
"My father died because he wouldn't let you keep hurting people."
Viktor stood.
"And you're alive because he made a foolish choice."
"No."
Harper's voice strengthened.
"I'm alive because he loved me enough to leave me the truth."
She held up the pendant.
Viktor's eyes fixed on it.
"Give it to me."
Harper tossed it.
Marcus caught it.
He opened the pendant.
Removed the chip.
Handed it to Viktor.
Viktor inserted it into a small reader.
A green light appeared.
Harper's heart pounded.
Duplicate.
Would it work?
The screen loaded.
Files appeared.
Viktor smiled.
Roman glanced subtly toward Harper.
Then the screen flashed red.
INVALID SIGNATURE.
Viktor's smile vanished.
He looked up.
Harper said, "Oops."
Marcus struck her.
The slap knocked Harper sideways.
Roman moved instantly.
Marcus aimed at him.
Viktor shouted, "Stop!"
Harper touched her bleeding lip.
Roman's eyes looked murderous.
Viktor grabbed Harper by the arm.
"Where is the real key?"
Harper smiled through pain.
"Somewhere you'll never find it."
Viktor tightened his grip.
Roman stepped closer.
"Take your hand off her."
"Or?"
Roman's voice became almost gentle.
"Or you discover why people are afraid of me."
Something in the room changed.
Viktor released Harper.
Then a gunshot exploded from the balcony.
Everyone ducked.
Roman grabbed Harper.
Lights shattered.
Chaos erupted.
Roman's team.
They had breached early.
Marcus fired toward the balcony.
Viktor grabbed Eleanor.
"Move!"
Harper screamed, "Mom!"
Viktor dragged her toward a side corridor.
Harper ran after them.
Roman caught her.
"No!"
"He has her!"
"I know."
They followed.
Marcus appeared from behind a pillar.
He aimed at Roman.
Harper saw it first.
"Roman!"
She shoved him.
The shot cracked.
Pain burned across Harper's upper arm.
She fell.
Roman's face changed.
"Harper."
"I'm okay."
Blood spread across her sleeve.
Roman turned toward Marcus.
Marcus fired again.
Roman moved.
Two shots.
Marcus fell.
Roman knelt beside Harper.
"Look at me."
"My mother."
"You're bleeding."
"It's a graze."
"How do you know?"
"Because I can still complain."
A broken laugh escaped him.
Elias rushed over.
"Viktor's heading for the rear."
Roman looked torn.
Harper saw it.
Nine years.
Julian.
Her father.
Viktor escaping.
"Go."
Roman shook his head.
"No."
"Go get my mother."
"I'm not leaving you."
"Roman."
Her voice softened.
"You said you'd choose my life over Viktor."
"Yes."
"I'm alive."
She pressed her hand over the wound.
"So choose my mother."
Roman stared.
Then kissed her forehead.
It happened so quickly Harper barely processed it.
"Elias stays."
Roman ran.
Harper watched him disappear.
Minutes later sirens surrounded the church.
Roman's people had anonymously alerted trusted federal agents rather than local police.
Harper's arm was bandaged.
Elias refused to let her move.
Then Roman appeared at the end of the aisle.
Harper stood.
He was alone.
Her smile disappeared.
"Where's my mother?"
Roman didn't answer immediately.
"Roman."
His face was grim.
"We found the vehicle."
"And?"
"Viktor was gone."
Harper's heart dropped.
"My mother?"
Roman approached.
Then stepped aside.
Eleanor Quinn emerged behind him.
Harper cried out.
"Mom!"
She ran.
Mother and daughter collided in the center of the ruined church.
Harper held her tightly.
For the first time since walking into her apartment, she felt something close to safety.
Roman watched from several feet away.
Eleanor noticed.
She whispered, "Is that Roman Vale?"
Harper laughed through tears.
"Long story."
Her mother looked at Roman.
Then at Harper.
"Apparently."
But the relief lasted less than five minutes.
Elias approached with a phone.
"Boss."
Roman's expression shifted.
"What?"
"We have a problem."
Harper looked up.
Elias continued.
"Derek has the real ledger."
"We knew that."
"Not just the ledger."
Elias turned the screen toward them.
A bank transfer confirmation.
The missing seventeen million dollars had moved.
Again.
This time into an account belonging to Eleanor Quinn.
Harper's mother stared.
"What?"
Roman's eyes narrowed.
Elias said, "And federal agents are already asking questions."
Harper's stomach dropped.
Derek had failed to frame Harper.
So he had chosen someone else.
Her mother.
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Continue to Chapter 8…
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