Chapter 9: The Vault of 2006
Kaelen gestured to a heavy steel door marked 104. "The key you took from Miller's throat? It opens that. It's the 'Insurance Policy' the old guard kept. It contains the names of every official bought by the Blackwood Syndicate."
Elias inserted the key. It turned with a heavy, satisfying thunk.
Inside wasn't a room full of gold or drugs. It was a library of microfiche and old-fashioned ledgers. And in the center of the room, sitting on a pedestal, was a single, small bottle of almond oil.
"Why the oil?" Elias whispered.
"It keeps the microfilm from becoming brittle," Kaelen said, stepping into the room. "But it's also a calling card. Julianna uses it because it was the scent of our mother's perfume. It's her way of saying 'I remember' before she cuts a throat."
Elias opened the top ledger. His eyes scanned the names. He reached the 'T' section.
Thorne, Silas (Detective): Paid $500,000 for 'Evidence Disposal' - March 2006.
His world tilted. His father wasn't a hero. He was a hitman in a badge. But then his eyes skipped to the bottom of the page.
Vance, Julianna (Informant): Paid $50,000 for 'Asset Location'.
The betrayal hit him like a physical blow. Julianna hadn't just been a victim. She had been the one who told them where to find the targets.
"She's not seeking justice, Kaelen," Elias realized, his voice trembling. "She's cleaning her own record. She's killing everyone who knows she was an informant."
"And you're next on her list, Elias," Kaelen said, raising his rifle. "But I can't let her do that. Because if you die, I lose my only leverage over her.