Chapter 15 - THE CHOICE IN THE DARK
Adrian struggled to his feet.
The central chamber filled with smoke.
Victor’s guards searched the rubble for Rose.
Adrian saw the metal case lying open.
The ledgers had disappeared.
Rose had anticipated the explosion.
A hidden passage beneath the platform had opened when the wall collapsed.
She had taken the evidence with her.
Victor seized Adrian.
“Where did she go?”
“I thought you controlled this mine.”
Victor struck him across the face.
Through the transmitter, Daniel heard every word.
His team was approaching the western entrance.
However, the explosion had blocked the main tunnel.
Nora reached the chamber through an overhead maintenance shaft.
She saw Brand running toward Victor.
“The bomb failed.”
Victor’s face twisted.
“Where is the girl?”
Brand looked toward the ventilation tunnels.
“Escaped.”
Victor raised his pistol.
Brand realized too late that failure would not be forgiven.
Victor shot him in the chest.
Adrian lunged.
They crashed against the control console.
Nora dropped from the shaft and struck one guard with an iron pipe.
The second guard grabbed her hair.
She drove her elbow into his throat.
Victor pushed Adrian toward the edge of a vertical mining pit.
“You were never strong enough to lead this family.”
Adrian caught the railing.
“You murdered everyone who was stronger than you.”
Victor pressed the pistol against his head.
Before he could fire, Lily’s voice came through the chamber speaker.
“Uncle Victor.”
Everyone froze.
Lily had reached an old communications room near the mine entrance.
She had activated the public-address system.
“I found Mommy’s last recording.”
Victor looked toward the speakers.
Lily pressed play.
Isabelle’s voice filled the mine.
“Victor admitted ordering Rose’s plane destroyed.”
“He admitted stealing Adrian’s authorization codes.”
“He admitted arranging my death.”
The confession had been hidden in a different compartment inside the rabbit.
Celeste had found the damaged financial drive but missed the tiny recorder beneath its plastic eye.
Victor fired at the speaker.
Adrian struck him.
The pistol slid across the floor.
Nora kicked it into the pit.
Daniel’s rescue team breached the chamber moments later.
Victor raised the remote detonator.
“If I cannot leave this mountain, none of you will.”
He pressed the button.
Nothing happened.
May you like
Rose stepped from the hidden passage holding the battery pack.
“You were always careless when you were angry.”
