Chapter 6 - The Day Wade Finally Chose His Family Over the Empire
The old courthouse had been abandoned for twelve years.
Wade knew every entrance.
Every corridor.
Every broken stair.
His organization had once used the basement for meetings before the city condemned the building.
Now Thomas had chosen it because he knew exactly what Wade would expect.
That meant there was only one reason he had chosen it anyway.
He wanted Wade angry.
Anger made men predictable.
Wade refused to be predictable.
He parked three blocks away.
Audrey sat beside him.
“We're really doing this.”
“Yes.”
“You're not going to kill him?”
“Not unless I have to.”
She looked at him.
“You're different.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
He looked at her.
“I just have something to lose now.”
They entered through an underground tunnel.
Silas and four trusted men came behind them.
The courthouse was dark.
No guards.
No cameras.
Too quiet.
Wade stopped.
“Wait.”
Silas whispered.
“What?”
“This is wrong.”
Then the lights came on.
Thomas stood in the courtroom.
Elias sat beside him.
Alive.
Pale.
Terrified.
Audrey moved forward.
“Elias!”
Thomas lifted a gun.
“Stay there.”
The child saw his mother.
“Mommy!”
Audrey covered her mouth.
Wade's face remained still.
“Let him go.”
Thomas smiled.
“You finally have a weakness.”
“You have no idea what I have.”
“Oh, I do.”
Thomas gestured to the ledger.
“Put it on the floor.”
Wade did.
Thomas stepped toward it.
“You know what your father feared?”
“What?”
“That his son would be better than him.”
Wade laughed once.
“My father was wrong.”
Thomas frowned.
“He was.”
Wade looked at Elias.
“I am nothing like him.”
Thomas smiled.
“Then prove it.”
He pointed at a second gun.
“Kill Silas.”
Silas's eyes widened.
“No.”
Thomas laughed.
“Your father killed everyone who stood between him and power. You inherited his blood. Show me.”
Wade looked at Silas.
Then at Elias.
He lowered his weapon.
“No.”
Thomas's smile disappeared.
“I said kill him.”
“And I said no.”
Wade walked forward.
“You want to know what changed?”
Thomas said nothing.
“I used to think loyalty meant fear.”
He took another step.
“Then I thought loyalty meant money.”
Another.
“Then I thought loyalty meant blood.”
He looked at Audrey.
“Now I know loyalty means staying when everyone else leaves.”
Thomas raised his gun.
“You're sentimental.”
“No.”
Wade smiled.
“I'm done being owned by men like you.”
Thomas fired.
Silas pushed Wade aside.
The bullet struck his shoulder.
Silas fell.
“Silas!”
Wade caught him.
“I’m fine,” Silas grunted.
“Stay down.”
Thomas shouted.
“Take the ledger!”
A gunfight erupted.
Wade's men returned fire.
Audrey ran toward Elias.
Thomas grabbed her.
He pressed the weapon to her head.
“Drop it!”
Wade froze.
Audrey's eyes met his.
There was no panic.
Only determination.
“Wade.”
He understood.
She wanted him to trust her.
Thomas forced Audrey toward the back corridor.
Elias cried.
“Daddy!”
Wade followed.
The corridor narrowed.
Thomas dragged Audrey into a storage room.
Wade entered alone.
“Let her go.”
Thomas laughed.
“You're begging.”
“No.”
Wade's voice was quiet.
“You're going to release her.”
“Or what?”
Wade looked behind him.
Silas had entered the room.
Blood covered his shirt.
He raised his gun.
Thomas glanced at him.
One second.
That was all Wade needed.
He attacked.
Thomas fired.
The bullet missed.
Wade slammed him into the wall.
The weapon fell.
They fought.
Thomas was older, but experienced.
He struck Wade in the ribs.
Wade answered with a punch.
Thomas staggered.
Audrey grabbed the gun.
“Stop!”
Thomas froze.
Audrey aimed.
Wade looked at her.
“Don't.”
She stared.
“I could end this.”
“I know.”
Thomas laughed.
“You see? Your wife is exactly what the Mercer bloodline needed.”
Audrey tightened her grip.
“You're wrong.”
Thomas frowned.
She lowered the gun.
“I don't need to become you.”
Police sirens sounded outside.
Thomas's face changed.
“How?”
Wade smiled.
“Daniel.”
Audrey looked at him.
“You called him?”
“I asked him to call the police before we came.”
Thomas shouted.
“You think they'll arrest me?”
Wade stared.
“Not just them.”
The courtroom doors opened.
Federal investigators entered.
Thomas looked at the ledger.
“What did you do?”
Wade answered.
“I copied every page.”
Thomas's face went pale.
“And sent it?”
“To everyone named in it.”
Silence.
“The empire is finished.”
Thomas stared.
“You'd destroy everything your family built?”
Wade looked at Elias.
“Yes.”
Thomas laughed bitterly.
“For a child?”
Wade's expression softened.
“For my son.”
Thomas was arrested.
But the fight was not over.
The ledger was now public.
Names began appearing in the news.
The city erupted.
Politicians resigned.
Executives disappeared.
Investigations opened.
Wade's organization fractured.
Some men fled.
Some betrayed him.
Others stayed.
But Wade didn't care.
He went to the hospital.
Elias was safe.
He slept in Audrey's arms.
Wade sat beside them.
Silas recovered from surgery.
“You really burned it all down,” he said.
Wade looked at him.
“It was rotten.”
“What happens now?”
“I don't know.”
Silas laughed.
“That's new.”
Wade smiled.
“Yes.”
Audrey woke.
She looked at Wade.
“Is it over?”
“Almost.”
“What does that mean?”
Wade reached for her hand.
“It means I can't give you the life I promised.”
She frowned.
“What life?”
“The life with no fear.”
Audrey looked at Elias.
“You can give us something else.”
“What?”
“An honest one.”
Wade swallowed.
“I want that.”
“You may not know how.”
“Then teach me.”
She smiled.
“Step one is breakfast.”
He blinked.
“Breakfast?”
“You've been awake almost two days.”
“You're ordering me to eat?”
“Yes.”
“Bossy.”
“Apparently you have a type.”
He laughed.
It was the first real laugh Audrey had heard from him in years.
Elias woke.
“Daddy.”
Wade looked down.
“Hey, little man.”
“Home?”
Wade looked at Audrey.
Then back at his son.
“Yes.”
May you like
“Home.”
And for the first time, Wade understood what the word meant.
