Chapter 18 - The FireThe archive burned quickly.
Pages floated through the air like burning snow.
Callum tried to stand.
Sadie helped him.
“Come on.”
“I can walk.”
“Then walk.”
They reached the stairs.
Behind them, Michael shouted.
“You don't understand!”
Sadie turned.
“Yes.”
She looked at him one final time.
“I finally do.”
Michael raised his weapon.
Hale shot him first.
Michael collapsed.
Callum stared at Hale.
“Why?”
Hale lowered the gun.
“Because your father forgot something.”
“What?”
“I hate losing.”
The ceiling cracked.
Everyone ran.
They emerged into the winter night.
Fire consumed the house.
Sirens approached.
Sadie turned toward Callum.
He was pale.
“You need a hospital.”
“I know.”
“You're still bleeding.”
“I noticed.”
She laughed despite herself.
Then she saw someone standing across the street.
A woman.
Silver hair.
Elena.
Sadie approached.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You let this happen.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Elena looked toward the burning house.
“Because the organization had to die.”
Sadie stared.
“And you?”
“I have nowhere to go.”
Callum walked toward her.
“You chose this.”
“I chose you.”
He froze.
Elena smiled.
“You were always the only thing I ever regretted.”
Then she turned to the police.
“I killed nobody.”
Callum frowned.
“You are surrendering?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She looked at Sadie.
“Because she won.”
Sadie swallowed.
The police took Elena away.
Hale disappeared before they could reach him.
Michael was found alive.
Marcus was dead.
The archive burned.
The ledger was destroyed.
Or so they thought.
Three days later, Sadie sat beside Callum in the hospital.
He was healing.
She held a cup of coffee.
“You know,” she said, “this is the first normal morning we've had.”
Callum looked at her.
“Don't say that.”
“Why?”
“Normal is usually followed by gunfire.”
She smiled.
Then her phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
YOU BURNED THE WRONG LEDGER.
Sadie's smile vanished.
A second message.
CHECK THE FRAME.
She looked at Callum.
“The frame.”
“What frame?”
“The one from Room 317.”
They returned to the hotel.
The photograph was still there.
Sadie removed the frame.
Behind it was a second compartment.
Inside:
A black notebook.
She opened it.
The first page contained one sentence.
THE RUSSO ARRANGEMENT WAS NEVER ABOUT CALLUM.
Sadie looked at him.
He took the notebook.
Read the second page.
His face went blank.
Sadie whispered:
“What?”
Callum looked up.
“The writer is Emma.”
May you like
A final line was visible.
And Callum is not who you think he is.
