Chapter 7 - A Traitor Behind the Gates
Evelyn Crosswell had left Chicago ten months after Ren died.
She had packed two suitcases, abandoned a successful architecture practice, and moved to Santa Barbara without saying goodbye to Gideon.
He had understood.
Their marriage had already been failing before the accident.
After Ren’s death, they became two people drowning in the same room while blaming each other for the water.
Evelyn blamed Gideon’s world.
Gideon blamed himself.
Neither knew how to stay.
Now she was tied to a chair at Pier 17.
Beside Sophie.
Hannah stared at Marcus’s live surveillance image on Gideon’s phone.
“No.”
Gideon’s voice became dangerously calm.
“When did Silas get her?”
“Unknown,” Marcus replied. “Private flight records show she landed in Chicago this afternoon.”
“She came back?”
“Looks that way.”
Hannah closed her eyes.
“She came because of me.”
“What?”
“I contacted her three days ago.”
Gideon looked at Hannah.
“Why?”
“Because Silas found us. I told Evelyn the evidence had to be moved.”
“So she returned.”
“Yes.”
Gideon stared at Evelyn on the screen.
Even after everything between them, seeing her captive changed something inside him.
Silas had not simply attacked his organization.
He was collecting the pieces of Gideon’s family.
Marcus spoke.
“We also found something else.”
“What?”
“One of our own teams arrived five minutes ago.”
“I didn’t send another team.”
“I know.”
Gideon’s eyes narrowed.
“How many?”
“Five men.”
“Whose command?”
Marcus hesitated.
“Vincent Rourke.”
That name hurt almost as much as Silas’s.
Vincent had run Gideon’s waterfront security for twelve years.
He attended Ren’s funeral.
He carried her casket.
Gideon closed his eyes.
Another traitor.
“How deep?” he asked.
“Deep enough.”
“Then assume every Crosswell unit is compromised.”
“That leaves us with very few people.”
“Good.”
“Good?”
“Fewer people to trust means fewer people who can betray us.”
Hannah looked at him.
“You talk about betrayal like weather.”
“In my business, it is.”
“Maybe that’s the problem.”
The sentence landed harder than she intended.
Gideon looked at her.
Hannah immediately shook her head.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
He glanced again at Evelyn and Sophie.
“You’re right.”
For years Gideon had believed fear created security.
It created obedience.
But obedience built on fear had expiration dates.
Silas had simply offered men a different fear.
Or more money.
Or both.
Gideon turned to his two remaining guards.
“Leave.”
They stared.
“Boss?”
“Go home.”
“We’re with you.”
“I know.”
“Then—”
“Your families don’t deserve to become part of this.”
Neither moved.
Gideon sighed.
“That wasn’t a request.”
Slowly, reluctantly, they left.
Hannah watched.
“What are you doing?”
“Reducing targets.”
“You can’t go to Pier 17 alone.”
“I won’t.”
“Marcus?”
“And one other person.”
“Who?”
Gideon looked at Peter Voss’s number on his phone.
“The man Silas already expects to betray him.”
Twenty minutes later Peter stood inside the terminal basement.
Hannah reacted immediately.
“That’s one of them.”
Peter stopped.
Gideon stood between them.
“He helped us find you.”
“He helped kidnap me.”
“Indirectly,” Peter said.
Hannah almost lunged at him.
Gideon caught her arm.
“Save it.”
Peter looked ashamed.
That interested Gideon.
Men like Peter did not become ashamed easily.
“Why are you helping?” Hannah demanded.
Peter looked at Gideon.
“Because Crosswell was right.”
“About what?”
“Silas was going to kill me anyway.”
“That makes you practical, not decent.”
“I didn’t claim to be decent.”
Gideon unfolded a floor plan.
“Pier 17 has three access points.”
Peter nodded.
“Silas will expect the south entrance.”
“We use the water side.”
“Frozen.”
“Partially.”
“You have a boat?”
“I own the pier.”
Peter almost smiled.
“Of course you do.”
At 11:42 p.m., Gideon, Hannah, Peter, and two of Marcus’s privately trusted contacts boarded a maintenance vessel two docks away.
Hannah should not have gone.
Gideon told her repeatedly.
She refused repeatedly.
“My five-year-old is in there.”
“I noticed.”
“And Evelyn came back because I called her.”
“You are not responsible for Silas.”
“You say that to Ava.”
Gideon looked at her.
Hannah held his stare.
“But you don’t believe it about yourself.”
He said nothing.
The boat moved slowly through black water.
Snow fell across the river.
Pier 17 appeared ahead.
An abandoned brick operations building sat above the water.
One upper window glowed.
Marcus whispered through Gideon’s earpiece.
“I have eyes inside. Sophie is in the central room. Evelyn is with her. Silas has six men visible.”
“Rourke?”
“East corridor.”
“Can you remove him?”
“Not without alerting everyone.”
Gideon touched the pendant.
The memory card had already been removed and placed with Dana for safekeeping.
The necklace itself was now bait.
“Silas thinks this is evidence.”
Hannah nodded.
“If he gets it, he’ll test it.”
“Which gives us time.”
Peter looked uneasy.
“You’re assuming he won’t shoot everyone first.”
“He won’t.”
“How can you know?”
Gideon looked toward the lit window.
“Because Silas has waited one year to watch me understand why he did it.”
Peter frowned.
“That sounds personal.”
“It is.”
They reached the lower platform.
Marcus opened a service hatch from inside.
Gideon climbed through.
“Where’s Ava?” Marcus asked.
“With Dana.”
“Good.”
“Evelyn?”
“Second floor.”
They moved silently upward.
Halfway along the corridor, Gideon heard Silas’s voice.
“…your husband always thought he built this city.”
Evelyn answered coldly.
“Ex-husband.”
“Still correcting people. I always admired that.”
“You murdered my daughter.”
Silence.
Then Silas said:
“No. Your husband did.”
Gideon stopped outside the room.
Hannah touched his arm.
Silas continued.
“I ordered Gideon’s car hit. Gideon put Ren inside it.”
Evelyn’s voice shook.
“You knew a child could be in that car.”
“I knew Gideon changed plans constantly. I didn’t know Ren was there.”
“And afterward?”
Silas said nothing.
Evelyn answered for him.
“You covered it up.”
“Yes.”
“You threatened Hannah.”
“Yes.”
“You had Daniel killed.”
A pause.
“Yes.”
Hannah inhaled sharply.
Gideon closed his eyes.
Confirmation.
Then Silas spoke again.
“But Ren was already dead because Gideon chose his empire over every warning he ever received.”
Gideon stepped into the doorway.
“That speech sounded better when I wasn’t here.”
Silas turned.
Evelyn’s eyes widened.
Sophie shouted, “Mr. Gideon!”
Three weapons immediately aimed at him.
Gideon raised his hands.
The sunflower pendant hung visibly from his fingers.
Silas smiled.
“I knew you’d come.”
“Of course.”
“You brought Hannah?”
Gideon glanced behind him.
“She makes her own decisions.”
Hannah stepped into view.
Sophie screamed, “Mommy!”
Silas’s men tightened their grip.
Hannah fought tears.
“I’m here, baby.”
Silas extended his hand.
“The pendant.”
Gideon walked forward.
“One condition.”
“You are not in a position to make conditions.”
“Evelyn and Sophie walk out.”
Silas laughed.
“No.”
“Then you get nothing.”
Silas’s face hardened.
Gideon held the pendant above an industrial drain.
“One movement and it disappears into the river system.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
Silas stared at him.
Then he nodded toward a guard.
“Release the child.”
Sophie ran.
Hannah caught her.
They clung to each other.
“Evelyn too,” Gideon said.
Silas shook his head.
“One hostage for one necklace.”
Gideon looked at Evelyn.
She gave him the smallest nod.
Take Sophie.
For once, they understood each other without argument.
Gideon tossed the pendant.
Silas caught it.
Hannah backed toward the corridor with Sophie.
Then Vincent Rourke entered from the east hall.
He pointed a gun directly at Hannah.
“Stop.”
Gideon turned.
Rourke smiled.
“Sorry, boss.”
Marcus appeared behind him.
“No,” Marcus said quietly. “You’re not.”
Rourke froze.
Marcus had a weapon against his back.
For one second, the room held perfectly still.
Then Peter Voss shouted from the hallway.
“Police!”
Silas looked at him.
Peter’s face drained.
“I didn’t—”
Sirens rose outside.
Dozens.
Silas stared at Gideon.
“You called them?”
“No.”
Marcus shook his head.
“Not me.”
Evelyn suddenly looked terrified.
“Gideon.”
“What?”
“The police aren’t here to rescue us.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Thomas Vane knows what’s in the vault.”
Lights flooded the pier.
A loudspeaker sounded outside.
“Gideon Crosswell! Come out with your hands visible!”
Gideon looked at Silas.
For the first time all night, enemies understood they had the same problem.
May you like
Then the loudspeaker continued.
“You are under arrest for the murder of Daniel Hurst.”
