Chapter 11 - THE CHILDREN SAVE EACH OTHERPolice surrounded the abandoned publishing building before sunrise.
Richard remained in the command vehicle with Ruth and Ethan connected by video from the hospital.
Ethan studied the building plans on his tablet.
Before becoming a storage property, Shaw Educational Press had produced school textbooks. The structure contained hidden freight corridors used to move paper between floors.
“There’s a tunnel under the west garage,” Ethan said. “It connects to the old printing room.”
The police commander looked surprised.
“How do you know?”
“I like maps.”
Mia sat tied to a chair inside that printing room.
Rebecca paced in front of her, phone pressed to her ear.
“What do you mean the police found the cemetery?” she demanded. “You said the grave was protected.”
A distorted voice answered through the speaker.
Mia could not identify the speaker, but it was not Victor.
Victor had been arrested.
Someone else was still controlling the plan.
Rebecca looked toward Mia.
“She heard nothing.”
The person on the phone continued.
Rebecca’s face changed.
“No. I’m not killing a child.”
Mia stopped breathing.
“I agreed to retrieve the evidence,” Rebecca said. “That was all.”
The caller replied.
Rebecca lowered the phone slowly.
“Who was that?” Mia asked.
“No one.”
“Someone you’re scared of.”
Rebecca came closer and untied one of Mia’s wrists.
“We’re leaving.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere Richard cannot find you.”
“That won’t work.”
Rebecca laughed nervously.
“You have remarkable confidence in a man you met two days ago.”
“I have confidence in Ethan.”
Rebecca pulled Mia from the chair.
A loud crash echoed somewhere above them.
Police had entered the building.
Rebecca dragged Mia through a side door.
They descended a metal staircase toward the freight tunnel.
Mia stumbled deliberately.
Rebecca tightened her grip.
“Stop fighting.”
“My shoe came off.”
“Leave it.”
Mia kicked the loose shoe beneath the stairs.
One yarn shoelace remained visible.
At the tunnel entrance, Rebecca stopped.
A man stood in the darkness.
He wore a black coat and leather gloves.
Mia recognized him from the television.
Elaine Porter.
The Harrison board member who had lowered her eyes during Richard’s confrontation with Victor.
Except Elaine was not alone.
Her adult son, Marcus Porter, stood behind her.
Elaine had chaired the MedAxis risk committee.
“You were supposed to bring the notebook,” she told Rebecca.
“Richard didn’t follow instructions.”
“He found the girl too quickly.”
“Because of the robot.”
Elaine looked at Mia.
“Then we remove the remaining problem.”
Rebecca stepped in front of her.
“No.”
Elaine’s expression remained calm.
“Victor is in custody. Colin is negotiating. Robert Danner is alive. We have reached the stage where sentiment is fatal.”
“She’s seven.”
“She is a witness who knows where Angela placed evidence.”
“The evidence is already gone.”
“Then she has no value.”
Mia pulled free and ran.
Marcus caught her before she reached the stairs.
She screamed.
Police heard the sound through a ventilation shaft.
Ethan heard it through the commander’s radio.
“The tunnel,” he said. “They’re in the tunnel.”
Officers moved toward the west garage.
Elaine drew a gun.
Rebecca backed away.
“This was never the agreement.”
“The agreement changed.”
Elaine pointed the weapon at Mia.
Rebecca moved first.
She struck Elaine’s arm just as the gun fired.
The bullet hit a pipe above them.
Steam exploded into the tunnel.
Marcus released Mia.
She crawled beneath the smoke, following the faint line of her missing shoe.
Rebecca and Elaine fought near the wall.
Another gunshot echoed.
Then Rebecca fell.
Mia reached the staircase as police entered from both sides.
Marcus grabbed her ankle.
She kicked his hand and screamed Ethan’s name.
An officer pulled her free.
Elaine attempted to run but disappeared into the steam.
She emerged directly in front of Richard.
He had ignored police orders and entered behind the tactical team.
Elaine raised the gun.
Richard did not move.
“You approved the acquisition,” she said.
“I approved a company. Not murder.”
“You signed the documents.”
“You forged my signature.”
“We used your device. Your carelessness made it possible.”
“You killed Natalie?”
“Victor ordered the sabotage. I approved the expense.”
The statement was recorded by three police body cameras.
Richard’s face showed no triumph.
Only grief.
Elaine lifted the weapon higher.
Mia saw Marcus moving behind Richard with a metal pipe.
“Richard!”
He turned.
The pipe struck his shoulder instead of his skull.
Richard fell.
Mia picked up the heavy doorstop beside the tunnel entrance and threw it at Marcus’s knee.
He collapsed.
Police rushed forward.
Elaine fired, but an officer knocked the weapon aside.
Within seconds, both Porters were in handcuffs.
Mia ran to Richard.
Blood darkened the shoulder of his coat.
“You got hurt.”
“I’ve had worse meetings.”
She almost laughed.
Then she remembered Rebecca.
Paramedics treated her near the stairs. The gunshot had entered her side.
Mia approached.
Rebecca opened her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“For which part?”
The question sounded like Angela.
Rebecca smiled weakly.
“All of it.”
“Who told Elaine where we were?”
Rebecca looked toward Richard.
“Your father.”
Richard froze.
“My father died twelve years ago.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“Thomas Harrison didn’t die in that hospital.”
“That is impossible.”
“Victor arranged a private transfer after the stroke. Your father has been living under medical supervision in Switzerland.”
Richard stared at her.
“Why?”
“He was the beginning of MedAxis.”
Rebecca’s voice became faint.
“He built the system Victor protected.”
Paramedics lifted her onto a stretcher.
Richard stood motionless in the tunnel.
For two days, he had believed the conspiracy ended with Victor.
Then with Elaine.
Now Rebecca had named a dead man.
May you like
The founder of Harrison Global.
Richard’s father.
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