Chapter 11 - The Betrayal Behind the Mercer Name
Daniel directed Grant to an abandoned yacht club forty miles south of Port Haven.
Grant drove alone as instructed.
Nora remained behind.
At least, that was what Daniel was meant to believe.
Elias and Nora followed at a distance, using a vehicle Daniel would not recognize.
Before leaving, Grant removed the original note from the music box and replaced it with blank paper.
The real note remained in Nora’s pocket.
At 4:10 p.m., Grant entered the yacht club.
Daniel waited inside.
Sophie sat in a chair near the windows.
She was frightened but unharmed.
Grant nearly ran to her.
Daniel raised a hand.
“Box first.”
Grant stopped.
Sophie whispered, “Daddy.”
“It’s okay.”
Grant placed the music box on a table.
Daniel picked it up.
“You have no idea how much trouble this little thing has caused.”
“You betrayed my family for Owen?”
Daniel laughed.
“I work for whoever understands the world.”
“And Owen does?”
“Owen understood that your father built an empire on secrets.”
Grant stared.
“My father was being blackmailed.”
“At first.”
“What does that mean?”
Daniel opened the box.
“Charles discovered eventually that Project Harbor could hide more than ransom payments.”
“Money.”
“Power.”
Daniel smiled.
“Untraceable political donations. Private settlements. Acquisitions. Mercer Holdings grew very quickly during those years.”
Grant felt sick.
“My father participated.”
“Yes.”
“So Elias lied.”
“Elias told you the part that made Charles sympathetic.”
Grant thought of his uncle.
Everyone had their version of the truth.
“Where is Owen?”
“Closer than you think.”
A door opened.
Owen entered.
Sophie recoiled.
“Uncle Owen.”
The word destroyed whatever remained of Grant’s old affection.
Owen looked tired.
Not evil.
Not triumphant.
Simply tired.
“Grant.”
“You kidnapped my daughter.”
“I borrowed leverage.”
Grant lunged.
Daniel stepped between them.
Owen raised a hand.
“Don’t.”
Grant stared at him.
“Where is Mara?”
Owen’s expression shifted.
“I wish I knew.”
“You’ve been hunting her.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she has evidence that can destroy everything.”
“Everything or you?”
“Both.”
Owen walked toward the windows.
“You think this is about stolen charity money. It became much larger.”
“Explain.”
“Mercer Holdings has governments, pension funds and thousands of employees tied to it. If Project Harbor becomes public without control, the company collapses.”
“Then let it.”
Owen turned.
“You say that because you’ve never had to choose between truth and thirty thousand people losing their jobs.”
Grant laughed bitterly.
“You tried to kill my wife.”
Owen’s face hardened.
“I did not.”
Grant stopped.
“The bridge.”
“Voss panicked.”
“You took her.”
“I asked her to come with me.”
“You lied about me sending you.”
“Yes.”
“You threatened her.”
“Yes.”
“But?”
“I wanted the evidence. I never ordered Voss to hurt her.”
Daniel looked toward Owen.
Grant noticed.
A crack between them.
“What happened that night?”
Owen rubbed his forehead.
“Mara got into the car because Charles convinced her we could explain everything. She realized we were driving the wrong direction. She tried to get out.”
Grant pictured it.
“Voss grabbed her.”
“Yes.”
“The crash?”
“She fought him. He lost control.”
“Then?”
“She ran.”
“And you let the world think she drowned.”
Owen looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
Grant’s rage rose.
“You watched me destroy myself for five years.”
“I thought she was dead.”
“For how long?”
“Six months.”
“And after?”
“When Voss found evidence she was alive, I tried finding her.”
“To bring her home?”
Owen said nothing.
Grant nodded.
“I thought so.”
Sophie began crying silently.
Grant forced himself to remain calm.
“You were her uncle in every way that mattered.”
Owen looked at Sophie.
Something cracked in his expression.
“I never wanted her involved.”
“You photographed her.”
“Voss did.”
“You allowed it.”
Owen looked at Daniel.
“Daniel went further than I authorized.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“Careful.”
Grant understood.
Owen was not fully in control.
Good.
He could use that.
“Why do you need the box?”
Daniel answered.
“Mara stored access information.”
“To what?”
“Charles created a digital archive of Project Harbor.”
“Where?”
“We don’t know.”
Owen opened the false compartment.
He found the blank paper.
His expression changed.
“Grant.”
Daniel grabbed Sophie.
She screamed.
Grant moved forward.
“Let her go!”
“Where is the note?”
Daniel shouted.
“It’s gone.”
“Who has it?”
Grant remained silent.
Daniel pressed a hand against Sophie’s shoulder.
Owen stepped toward him.
“That’s enough.”
Daniel looked at Owen.
“You’ve gone soft.”
“She’s a child.”
“She’s leverage.”
Owen’s jaw tightened.
Grant saw his opening.
“You think he’ll let you survive this, Owen?”
Daniel laughed.
Owen didn’t.
Grant continued.
“You know too much.”
“Shut up.”
“That’s why Charles faked his death. That’s why Elias did. Everyone close to Project Harbor becomes disposable.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
Owen slowly looked at him.
Grant pressed.
“When Mara is found, Daniel doesn’t need you.”
Daniel drew a weapon from beneath his jacket.
Sophie screamed.
Owen moved instinctively in front of her.
Grant froze.
Daniel stared at him.
“Move.”
“No.”
“Owen.”
“She has nothing to do with this.”
“She is the reason Grant cooperates.”
Owen shook his head.
“You said nobody gets hurt.”
Daniel smiled.
“You still think you’re in charge.”
Grant realized then that Owen had been a criminal for years.
But Daniel was something worse.
A man who had stopped believing any line existed.
Outside, faintly, tires moved across gravel.
Nora and Elias.
Daniel heard it.
His head turned.
Grant attacked.
The weapon fell.
Owen pulled Sophie away.
Daniel struck Grant.
A window shattered.
Elias entered through a side door with two federal agents.
Grant stared.
Agents?
Daniel ran.
Nora rushed toward Sophie.
Grant caught Daniel near the rear exit.
They crashed into a table.
Daniel escaped through broken glass and disappeared toward the docks.
Agents pursued him.
Grant crawled to Sophie.
She threw herself into his arms.
“I knew you’d come.”
He held her as though he could make up for every lost year in one embrace.
Then he looked toward Elias.
“Federal agents?”
Elias nodded.
“I’ve been cooperating for months.”
Grant stared.
“You might have mentioned that.”
“I’m learning from my mistakes.”
Owen remained near the window.
One agent approached him.
“Owen Kessler, you need to come with us.”
Owen lowered his hands.
Then he looked at Grant.
“I can take you to Mara.”
Grant froze.
“What?”
“I don’t know where she is now.”
“You just said—”
“But I know where she’ll go tonight.”
Grant stood slowly.
“How?”
Owen looked at the music box.
May you like
“Because the lullaby contains one final location.”
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