Chapter 11 - THE MAN IN THE BLUE TIEDaniel led the survivors toward the emergency staircase.
Rex stayed beside Eli.
Nathan moved behind them.
Sarah covered the rear.
Then the lights above flickered.
A voice came through the speakers.
“Officer Brooks.”
Daniel stopped.
Chief Martin.
“You have ten minutes.”
“For what?”
“For the boy.”
Daniel looked at Eli.
Martin continued.
“The terminal exits are sealed.”
“You'll let them out.”
“No.”
“Then I'll come for you.”
A low laugh.
“You don't know where I am.”
Daniel looked at Nathan.
Nathan pointed upward.
“The control room.”
They ran.
The staircase opened into a restricted airport corridor.
Gunfire echoed in the distance.
Daniel moved carefully.
At the end of the hallway stood a man in a dark suit.
Blue tie.
Eli stopped.
“That’s him.”
Daniel raised his weapon.
“Martin!”
The man turned.
It wasn't Chief Martin.
It was a different man.
Gray hair.
Calm eyes.
And a blue tie.
The man smiled.
“Eli.”
The child backed away.
“You took my mom.”
The man shook his head.
“No.”
“You did.”
“I only told them where she was.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Adrian Vale.”
Nathan went pale.
“No.”
Adrian looked at him.
“You remember.”
Daniel glanced at Nathan.
“Who is he?”
Nathan whispered:
“Director.”
Vale smiled.
“The title stuck.”
Daniel kept his weapon trained.
“Where's Chief Martin?”
“He's safe.”
“Where?”
“Elsewhere.”
“And Eli's mother?”
“Also safe.”
“Then release them.”
Vale sighed.
“You still think this is about killing people.”
“What is it about?”
“Control.”
Daniel felt something shift.
Vale continued.
“Three years ago, Nathan found the emergency network.”
“Why was it built?”
“To monitor threats before they happened.”
“That's not illegal.”
“No.”
Vale smiled.
“The problem was what came next.”
He stepped closer.
“The system began identifying people as threats.”
Daniel said nothing.
Vale looked at Eli.
“And this child was predicted to expose it.”
Eli whispered:
“I don't understand.”
“You don't have to.”
Vale reached into his coat.
Rex lunged.
Daniel fired into the wall beside Vale.
Vale froze.
Rex stood between him and Eli.
Daniel shouted:
“Drop it!”
Vale slowly raised his hands.
His expression remained calm.
“You see?”
He looked at Rex.
“Even the dog understands who the threat is.”
Daniel approached.
Then the terminal screens activated.
A live video showed Chief Martin.
He was tied to a chair.
Beside him stood Sarah's supposed twin.
Daniel realized the woman wasn't a double.
She was a former agent.
The same woman who had been in the corridor.
Vale watched Daniel's face.
“She'll kill Martin in sixty seconds unless you do what I ask.”
“What?”
“Take Eli to Server Room 7.”
Nathan shouted:
“No!”
Vale smiled.
“His memory opens the system.”
Daniel looked at Eli.
“What system?”
Vale's eyes hardened.
“The one your father buried.”
Suddenly Nathan collapsed.
A red stain spread across his shirt.
A gunshot.
Vale didn't fire.
Daniel spun.
Someone stood at the far end of the corridor.
The chief of police.
Chief Martin.
Holding a weapon.
He pointed it at Nathan.
May you like
And said:
“Daniel, step away from the boy.”
