Chapter 16 - The Shot
The chirp lasted less than a second.
But Mason understood.
He grabbed Mr. Moon from Lily and tore at the seam.
“What is this?”
Lily screamed, “Give him back!”
Daniel moved.
Mason swung the gun toward him.
Victoria shouted, “Mason, no!”
The shot exploded through the room.
Daniel felt heat across his upper arm and slammed into the wall.
Lily screamed louder.
Outside, glass shattered as the tactical team breached the rear doors.
“Police! Drop the weapon!”
Mason grabbed Lily and pulled her against him.
Daniel forgot the pain in his arm.
“Don’t.”
Mason pressed the gun near Lily’s shoulder.
“Everybody back!”
Victoria stared at her brother.
“You said nobody was going to get hurt.”
He looked at her with pure disbelief.
“Hannah is dead.”
Victoria recoiled.
Daniel saw it: whatever lies she had told herself for three years were collapsing.
Lily was sobbing now.
“Uncle Mason, please.”
Daniel kept his voice level.
“Mason, you don’t need Lily. You need leverage. Take me.”
“Shut up.”
“You want the company? The evidence? I’m the one who controls it.”
Mason’s eyes flickered.
That was all Lily needed.
She bit his hand.
Hard.
Mason yelled.
Victoria lunged for Lily.
The gun hit the floor.
Officers rushed in.
Daniel crossed the room despite the blood soaking his sleeve and pulled Lily into his arms.
Mason was pinned against the floor within seconds.
Victoria backed toward the sliding doors.
“Daniel,” she said.
He looked at her.
For one strange moment, she looked like the woman he had once loved.
Then she ran.
She crossed the icy deck toward the dock.
Two officers followed.
Victoria slipped near the edge, hit the railing, and went over into the black water.
Daniel heard the splash.
Lily buried her face against his neck.
Minutes later, officers pulled Victoria out alive.
As paramedics treated Daniel, Ramirez approached holding Mason’s second phone.
“You need to see this.”
On the screen was a scheduled message set to send automatically if Mason failed to cancel it.
May you like
The subject line read:
THE MORGAN COVER-UP - EVELYN KNEW.
