Chapter 7 - The Prisoner Beneath the MountainThey returned to the monastery.
Not alone.
Mercer brought twelve soldiers.
Emilia came too.
They entered through a tunnel.
Hale's men were waiting.
A firefight erupted.
Tessa moved through the corridor.
Raphael stayed beside her.
They reached a locked steel door.
Inside was a man chained to a chair.
Older.
Thin.
Gray hair.
Tessa stopped breathing.
“Dad?”
Elijah Ward looked up.
His eyes filled.
“Tessa.”
She ran to him.
He smiled.
“You grew up.”
She hugged him.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I was supposed to be.”
Raphael stood nearby.
Elijah looked at him.
“You're Dominic's son.”
Raphael nodded.
“Your father saved my life once.”
Tessa froze.
“What?”
“He helped me escape.”
“Why was he killed?”
“He wouldn't give them the ledger.”
“Where is it?”
Elijah looked at Raphael.
“His son.”
Raphael frowned.
“What?”
“Your father hid the final key with you.”
Raphael reached into his jacket.
A small coin.
He had carried it since childhood.
His father had told him never to lose it.
Elijah smiled.
“Open it.”
Raphael did.
Inside was a microfilm strip.
Coordinates.
A name.
MAYA.
Tessa stared.
“The child?”
“No.”
Elijah shook his head.
“Maya was a code.”
“For what?”
“The location of the ledger.”
They followed the coordinates to a monastery archive.
Inside was the final ledger.
Complete.
Every payment.
Every buyer.
Every operative.
Every politician.
Every military officer.
Every hospital.
Black Meridian was just one part.
Victor Hale stood at the top.
Below him were international corporations.
The network had operated for thirty years.
Tessa found her father's name.
Then Raphael found his.
Both had been listed as potential threats.
Tessa whispered:
“They planned to kill us.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because we found the truth.”
Suddenly, Hale's voice came through the speakers.
“Congratulations.”
The lights went out.
“Put the ledger down.”
Raphael grabbed Tessa.
“You stay behind me.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“Tessa.”
“I've spent my whole life being told to stay behind somebody.”
She raised her weapon.
“Not tonight.”
Hale entered.
He was calm.
Professional.
He carried no visible weapon.
“You have no idea what you're holding.”
Tessa said:
“People.”
Hale smiled.
“Assets.”
“Children.”
“Potential.”
“Patients.”
“Leverage.”
Raphael stepped forward.
“You're done.”
Hale looked at him.
“Your father thought that too.”
He drew a gun.
Elijah lunged.
A shot rang out.
Raphael was hit.
Tessa screamed.
He fell.
Hale turned.
“You should have stayed out of this.”
Tessa raised her weapon.
She fired.
Hale dropped.
Silence.
Then alarms.
The building began collapsing.
Tessa crawled to Raphael.
“Stay with me.”
His eyes opened.
“Again?”
“You're getting predictable.”
He smiled weakly.
She pressed the wound.
“Don't you dare die.”
“Thought you said I was difficult.”
“You are.”
Elijah shouted:
“Move!”
The ceiling cracked.
Tessa dragged Raphael.
Mercer and the team carried the ledger.
They escaped as the monastery collapsed.
Outside, Raphael's breathing was shallow.
Tessa looked at him.
“I saved you once.”
He coughed.
“Twice.”
“Don't make it a habit.”
May you like
He smiled.
“No promises.”
