Chapter 5 - Carter Voss Finally Tells the Truth
Pier Twelve sat against the Delaware River like a black steel fortress.
Roman had spent half his adult life there.
Tonight it belonged to Carter.
Dominic parked three blocks away.
Elise stared at Roman.
“You are not going inside.”
“I am.”
“You have two bullet wounds.”
“I noticed.”
“You'll collapse.”
“Then I collapse inside.”
Elise grabbed his arm.
“No.”
Roman looked at her hand.
Then at her.
“You've known me approximately three hours.”
“Long enough to know you think dying dramatically is a management strategy.”
Dominic hid a smile.
Roman frowned.
“What do you suggest?”
“Evidence first. Revenge later.”
“That sounded disturbingly reasonable.”
Margaret said, “She's been bossy since she was six.”
Elise ignored her.
They entered 47-B through an old maintenance tunnel Dominic remembered.
Noah remained with Margaret in the car under guard.
Inside, rows of abandoned refrigeration lockers stretched into darkness.
Roman shone a flashlight over faded numbers.
“Forty-seven.”
Dominic found a welded steel door.
“Someone didn't want this opened.”
Elise looked at Roman.
“Can you get through it?”
Roman gave Dominic a look.
Dominic removed a compact cutting tool from his bag.
Elise blinked.
“You carry that around?”
Dominic shrugged.
“I work in logistics.”
“That is not logistics.”
The lock gave way.
Inside were old filing cabinets.
Photographs.
Ledgers.
Shipping manifests.
And three sealed boxes.
Roman opened one.
Inside were photocopies of payment records.
Names.
Politicians.
Dock supervisors.
Police officers.
And Vincent Voss.
Carter's father.
Roman stared.
“This wasn't Carter's operation.”
Dominic looked over his shoulder.
“It started with Vincent.”
Elise found another file.
“Anthony Marcelli.”
Roman took it.
Inside was a handwritten statement.
If Daniel and I fail to bring this to my father, Vincent Voss is controlling the route. Carter knows. Carter may be worse.
Roman closed his eyes.
His brother had been telling the truth.
All of it.
A voice came from the doorway.
“He always was dramatic.”
They turned.
Carter Voss stood there with four armed men.
Forty now.
Gray suit.
No raincoat.
Calm smile.
Roman stared at him.
“You should have checked the cemetery.”
Carter's smile disappeared slightly.
“So Margaret kept the tape.”
Elise went still.
That sentence was enough.
Roman smiled.
“Thank you.”
Carter frowned.
“For what?”
Elise raised her phone.
Recording.
Carter laughed.
“You think that matters?”
“It will.”
“No, nurse. It won't.”
He stepped closer.
“You have no idea how many people need Roman dead.”
Roman said, “Apparently you needed it most.”
Carter looked at him.
“You did get soft.”
“You keep saying that.”
“You started making rules.”
“No children. No trafficking. No poison in schools.”
“Rules cost money.”
“So this was about money?”
Carter's expression changed.
“No.”
For the first time, anger appeared.
“It was about my father spending his entire life serving yours.”
Roman stared.
Carter continued.
“Vincent Voss built half the systems your family profited from. Your father called him an employee.”
“So you killed Daniel.”
“He was going to expose him.”
“And Anthony?”
“He wouldn't stop asking questions.”
Roman's jaw tightened.
“Did you kill my brother?”
Carter smiled.
“I didn't have to.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your father ordered Anthony out of the city.”
Roman went still.
Carter's smile widened.
“The crash happened afterward.”
Dominic whispered, “Roman…”
Carter looked toward him.
“You never told him?”
Roman turned.
“Tell me what?”
Dominic's face collapsed.
“Anthony's car didn't go into the river with him inside.”
Silence.
Roman stared.
“What?”
“I saw him leave Philadelphia.”
Roman's entire body seemed to stop.
“My brother is alive?”
“I don't know.”
Carter laughed.
“Oh, this is better than I expected.”
Roman took one step toward Dominic.
“You told me you didn't know.”
“I thought Anthony died later. Your father made us swear—”
Roman slammed Dominic against a cabinet.
“Where did he go?”
“I don't know!”
Carter lifted his pistol.
“Family reunion later.”
Elise stepped in front of Roman.
Carter raised an eyebrow.
“Move.”
“No.”
Roman's voice was low.
“Elise.”
She didn't move.
Carter smiled.
“You saved the wrong man.”
Elise looked at him.
“I work emergency medicine. We don't decide who deserves to bleed out.”
“Very noble.”
“No. Practical.”
Carter's eyes narrowed.
Elise continued.
“Because people talk when they survive.”
Sirens sounded outside.
Carter's face changed.
Roman looked at Elise.
She smiled faintly.
“I texted the recording and location to my charge nurse twenty minutes ago.”
Roman stared.
“You called police?”
“I called federal investigators.”
Dominic laughed.
Roman said, “You didn't mention that.”
“You were busy trying to die.”
Carter raised his gun.
A shot exploded.
Elise ducked.
Roman pulled her down behind a steel cabinet.
Dominic returned fire.
Carter's men scattered.
Outside, commands echoed.
“Federal agents! Drop your weapons!”
Carter ran toward the loading dock.
Roman followed.
Elise grabbed him.
“Roman!”
“He killed Daniel.”
“He may have killed Anthony.”
Roman stopped.
That mattered.
If Anthony was alive, Carter might know where.
Elise saw the decision change in his face.
“Alive,” she said.
Roman nodded.
“Alive.”
They found Carter at the river gate surrounded by federal agents.
He dropped his weapon slowly.
As they handcuffed him, Roman approached.
Carter looked up.
“You think this changes what you are?”
Roman stared at him.
“No.”
Then he looked back toward Elise.
Toward the woman who had saved his life.
May you like
“But maybe what I do next does.”
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