Chapter 10
The old Vance boathouse sat at the edge of a private marina.
No lights.
No neighbors.
No mercy.
Marcus and I walked toward it with our hands visible.
Leah and federal agents moved through the trees behind us.
Robert stayed in the command van, feeding us instructions through tiny earpieces.
My heart pounded so hard I thought Eleanor would hear it.
Inside, Julian was tied to a chair.
His face was bruised.
His eyes found mine.
“Khloe.”
I did not answer.
Eleanor stood beside the missing storage chest.
Victor Sloan leaned against it with a gun in his hand.
Serena stood near the wall, crying silently.
So she had not been a lover only.
She had been a courier.
Maybe a willing one.
Maybe trapped.
I did not know yet.
Eleanor smiled.
“My son always lacked discipline.”
Julian whispered, “Mom, please.”
She ignored him.
“Code.”
Marcus stared at the chest.
“I don’t know it.”
“Yes, you do.”
Victor lifted the gun toward Julian.
“Try harder.”
I stepped forward.
“The code is not a number.”
Everyone turned to me.
I remembered Dad’s old stories.
The fishing trips.
The way he made us repeat family rules.
When lost, follow the north star.
When afraid, tell the truth.
When trapped, come home.
I touched the lock.
Four small letter wheels.
I turned them.
H-O-M-E.
The chest clicked.
Eleanor inhaled.
Victor smiled.
Inside were papers.
Tapes.
A small hard drive.
And a sealed letter addressed to me and Marcus.
Victor reached for the hard drive.
Before he touched it, the boathouse doors burst open.
“FBI!”
Chaos exploded.
Victor grabbed me.
Julian screamed.
Marcus lunged.
May you like
A gunshot cracked.
And Serena fell.
