Chapter 14 - Teresa's Last Move
We found Teresa in the old church outside San Antonio.
She was sitting alone in the last pew.
No guards.
No weapon.
Just a small handbag beside her.
When I walked in, she stood.
“Chloe?”
“She's safe.”
Teresa closed her eyes.
“Thank God.”
I approached her.
“You've been lying to me for twenty years.”
“Yes.”
“You worked with Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“You knew my mother was alive.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Chloe was being watched.”
“Yes.”
I couldn't speak for several seconds.
Then I asked,
“Did you ever love me?”
She looked directly at me.
“That is the only thing I never lied about.”
She opened her handbag.
Inside was a small cassette recorder.
“Your father gave me this the night he died.”
I took it.
“Why didn't you give it to me?”
“Because he told me not to.”
I pressed play.
My father's voice came through.
“If you're hearing this, Teresa failed.”
Teresa began crying.
My father's voice continued.
“Gabriel, there is no conspiracy you can defeat by fighting every enemy.”
A pause.
“You must make them fight each other.”
I looked at Teresa.
“What does that mean?”
The recording continued.
“Your mother believes the ledger contains the money.”
“She is wrong.”
“Daniel believes the ledger contains revenge.”
“He is wrong.”
“The government believes the ledger contains evidence.”
“They are wrong.”
My father's voice became softer.
“The ledger contains one thing.”
I leaned closer.
“My confession.”
The tape clicked.
Then his final words.
“I built the network.”
I froze.
My father had built everything.
The illegal routes.
The hidden accounts.
The people in government.
The shell companies.
All of it.
He hadn't been a victim.
He had been the architect.
But then he'd tried to destroy what he'd created.
And my mother had killed him for it.
The tape ended.
Teresa whispered,
“He left one more message.”
“What?”
She handed me a folded note.
I opened it.
The words were written in my father's handwriting.
TRUST TERESA.
ONLY UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
I looked at the clock.
11:42 p.m.
Twelve minutes.
Then Teresa stood.
“It's time.”
“For what?”
“For me to finish what I started.”
She walked toward the church doors.
I followed.
Outside, black SUVs surrounded the building.
Daniel stepped from one.
Martin from another.
And behind them stood Eleanor.
My mother.
Alive.
She looked at Chloe.
Then she smiled.
“Bring me the ledger.”
I held it up.
“You want this?”
“No.”
She pointed at Chloe.
“I want the girl.”
Teresa stepped in front of my daughter.
Eleanor's expression changed.
“You've been protecting her all these years.”
Teresa nodded.
“Yes.”
Then she pulled a gun from her coat.
Not at Eleanor.
At Martin.
“Enough.”
Martin's face went white.
Teresa fired.
The bullet struck his shoulder.
Chaos exploded.
Gunfire.
People running.
Glass breaking.
I grabbed Chloe.
Daniel fired at Eleanor.
Eleanor disappeared behind a pillar.
Agent Mason and Luis returned fire.
And Teresa stood in the middle of the church.
Holding the only piece of evidence that could destroy everyone.
Me.
No.
Not me.
The ledger.
She looked at me.
Then mouthed two words.
RUN, GABRIEL.
I grabbed Chloe and ran.
Behind us, I heard Teresa scream.
May you like
Then one gunshot.
Just one.
