Chapter 3 - The Secretary Who Never Existed
Damian spent the next twelve hours tearing apart Hazel’s past.
Almost everything was false.
Her college degree.
Her previous employer.
Her rental references.
Even the emergency contact listed in Apex personnel records led to a disconnected number.
Only one thing seemed real.
Her ability to disappear.
By noon, Marcus entered Damian’s office carrying a thin folder.
“I found a photograph.”
He placed it on the desk.
A younger Hazel stood outside a federal building.
Different hair.
Different clothes.
Same eyes.
“Evelyn Shaw,” Marcus said. “Federal intelligence contractor attached to Black Harbor.”
Damian studied the photograph.
“What happened to her?”
“Officially? She resigned.”
“Unofficially?”
“She uncovered a leak inside the investigation.”
“Someone was selling information.”
“Yes.”
“To Bastion Locke?”
“We don’t know.”
Damian leaned back.
“Why come to Apex?”
Marcus gave him a hard look.
“Maybe because you were a target.”
Damian’s phone buzzed.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES. COME ALONE. PARKING LEVEL B4.
Marcus saw it.
“You’re not going alone.”
“She’ll disappear if I don’t.”
“She might not have sent it.”
Damian stood.
“Then I’ll know in ten minutes.”
B4 was nearly empty.
Damian walked between concrete columns until a voice came from behind him.
“You never follow instructions well.”
He turned.
Hazel stepped from the shadows.
No beige cardigan.
Black jeans. Dark jacket. Hair pulled back.
She somehow looked more natural dressed like this.
And more dangerous.
Damian stared at her.
“Hazel.”
“Evelyn.”
He absorbed the correction.
“Evelyn.”
She almost smiled.
“Still sounds strange coming from you.”
“You saved my life.”
“More than once.”
“How many?”
“Does the number matter?”
“It does to me.”
“Seven confirmed attempts.”
Damian stared.
“Seven?”
“Possibly nine.”
“And I never knew.”
“That was the point.”
He stepped closer.
“Why?”
“Because three years ago Black Harbor collapsed. Somebody compromised our operation. Agents disappeared. Witnesses disappeared. Evidence disappeared.”
“And you?”
“I was supposed to disappear too.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No.”
“Why Apex?”
Hazel looked at him.
“Because every trail eventually crossed your company.”
Damian’s face hardened.
“You thought I was involved.”
“At first.”
“And later?”
“I realized someone was using your shipping network without your knowledge.”
“Bastion.”
“Bastion is part of it.”
“Part?”
Hazel nodded.
“The network is bigger.”
Damian remembered her warning.
“Someone close to me.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Then why come back?”
Hazel removed a flash drive from her pocket.
“Because you have something they need.”
“What?”
“Your company’s old shipping archives.”
“We have millions of records.”
“Specifically October seventeen, seven years ago. Vessel AR-419.”
Damian frowned.
“That designation means nothing to me.”
“It will.”
She handed him the drive.
Their fingers nearly touched.
Damian looked at her.
“I owe you an apology.”
Hazel’s expression remained neutral.
“You owe me several.”
“I humiliated you.”
“Yes.”
“I fired you without listening.”
“Yes.”
“I was wrong.”
That finally changed her expression.
Damian Russo was not famous for admitting mistakes.
Hazel folded her arms.
“That must have hurt.”
“It did.”
A tiny smile appeared.
Then vanished.
“Good.”
Damian almost laughed.
A car door slammed somewhere above them.
Hazel immediately looked toward the ramp.
“Did you bring Marcus?”
“No.”
“Anyone else?”
“No.”
Footsteps echoed.
Hazel moved closer.
“We need to leave.”
“Why?”
“Because nobody knew I was meeting you.”
The elevator indicator changed.
B4.
Hazel looked at Damian.
“Now somebody does.”
They moved toward the emergency stairs.
Damian caught her arm.
“Hazel.”
She looked down at his hand.
He released her.
“Evelyn.”
“Yes?”
“When this is finished, you’re going to tell me everything.”
She stared at him.
“If we survive this, I’ll consider it.”
The elevator doors opened behind them.
Damian followed her through the stairwell.
For the first time in his life, Chicago’s most powerful shipping boss was taking orders from his former secretary.
May you like
And for the first time, he understood exactly why he should.
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