Chapter 8 - The Final Betrayal
Martin had one last weapon.
Cindy’s younger sister, Emily.
He kidnapped her from Ohio.
The call came at midnight.
Cindy answered.
Her sister screamed.
Martin spoke.
“Bring the archive.”
Cindy went pale.
Andrew took the phone.
“You want me.”
“I want her.”
“Where?”
“Come to the warehouse where it started.”
Andrew remembered the building.
The same place where he had nearly killed Rossy weeks earlier.
He gathered Lucas and Rachel.
Cindy refused to stay behind.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“My sister is there.”
Andrew looked at her.
“This ends tonight.”
They arrived before dawn.
The warehouse was empty.
Too empty.
A single light hung above the center of the floor.
Emily was tied to a chair.
Martin stood behind her.
Andrew entered alone.
“You wanted me.”
Martin smiled.
“You finally came.”
Cindy shouted from the entrance.
“Emily!”
Martin raised his gun.
“One step.”
Everyone stopped.
Martin looked at Andrew.
“You destroyed everything.”
Andrew kept walking.
“You destroyed yourself.”
Martin laughed.
“Give me the archive.”
Andrew pulled out a drive.
Martin reached for it.
Andrew threw it across the room.
Martin caught it.
He looked down.
Then back up.
“Is this real?”
“No.”
Martin’s face changed.
Andrew smiled.
“The real archive was never digital.”
Martin realized too late.
Cindy’s father had hidden it physically.
The memory was the key.
And the memory belonged to Cindy.
She had memorized a sequence as a child.
The location.
The combination.
Everything.
Martin pointed his weapon at her.
Andrew moved.
Lucas fired.
The gun flew from Martin’s hand.
Rachel tackled him.
Emily was freed.
Martin was arrested.
This time, there was nowhere to run.
Before police arrived, Martin whispered to Andrew.
“You think this makes you clean?”
Andrew looked at him.
“No.”
May you like
He looked at Cindy.
“It makes me responsible.”
