Chapter 2 - The Drive Arthur Stole
Victor didn’t take me to a mansion.
He took me to a private medical office hidden above one of his legitimate freight companies in Brooklyn Heights.
The doctor arrived before we did.
That frightened me more than anything.
People came quickly when Victor Hale called.
Dr. Elena Morris examined my ribs while Victor waited outside the room.
“Nothing appears broken,” she said. “But you’re badly bruised.”
“Can you tell him to leave?”
“He already did.”
I looked toward the closed door.
“What?”
“He asked whether you wanted him inside. You didn’t answer. He took that as a no.”
I didn’t know what to do with that information.
Elena cleaned my lip.
“You should be monitored tonight.”
“I’m leaving.”
She gave me a tired look.
“You can barely stand.”
“I’m not staying in his building.”
Victor spoke from outside.
“It’s not my building.”
I looked at the door.
“Were you listening?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because there are armed men downstairs trying to determine whether Leon Briggs sold your location.”
Elena sighed.
“I’m going to pretend this is normal.”
Victor opened the door only after she nodded.
He had removed his suit jacket.
His sleeves were rolled once at the wrists.
No gun was visible.
That didn’t make him less dangerous.
The flash drive sat inside a clear evidence pouch on the table.
I pointed at it.
“You said it can destroy people.”
“It can.”
“Who?”
Victor looked at Elena.
She gathered her medical supplies.
“I’ll be downstairs.”
When the door closed, he pulled a chair across from me.
“Arthur worked in accounting for Calder Shipping.”
“I know.”
“Calder Shipping launders money for Dominic Voss.”
The name meant nothing to me.
Victor noticed.
“That’s good.”
“Why?”
“Because people who know Dominic Voss usually regret it.”
I folded my arms carefully.
“And you?”
“I’ve regretted knowing him for twelve years.”
Victor pushed the pouch toward me.
“The drive contains payment records, shipping manifests, judges, inspectors, police officers, dock supervisors.”
I stared at it.
“Your people?”
“Some.”
I looked up sharply.
“You’re admitting that?”
“I’m not asking you to believe I’m innocent.”
“Good.”
“But the records also show something Arthur discovered six months ago.”
“What?”
Victor leaned forward.
“Voss has been using legitimate freight containers to move stolen medical supplies.”
I frowned.
“Medical supplies?”
“Insulin. Surgical equipment. Cancer medication. Anything expensive enough to resell.”
“That’s why Arthur stole the records?”
“I don’t know why Arthur did anything.”
“You think he was helping someone?”
Victor’s expression told me the answer before he spoke.
“No.”
My throat tightened.
“You think he wanted money.”
“I think Arthur copied the records and tried to sell them to both sides.”
“That doesn’t sound like him.”
Victor said nothing.
I hated the silence.
“Say it.”
“He offered the drive to me for two million dollars.”
I stared at him.
“When?”
“Three nights ago.”
“No.”
“He called from a blocked number.”
“He wouldn’t.”
“He did.”
I shook my head.
“You’re lying.”
Victor stood.
“Come with me.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“You want proof.”
He walked to a desk and opened a laptop.
“Here it is.”
An audio file appeared.
Arthur’s voice filled the room.
“Two million, Hale. You want Voss buried, I’ve got the shovel.”
My stomach turned cold.
Victor’s recorded voice answered.
“You’re selling information that can get people killed.”
Arthur laughed.
“Everybody dies eventually.”
Victor paused the recording.
I couldn’t speak.
“That’s not all,” he said.
“I’ve heard enough.”
“No. You haven’t.”
I looked at him.
Victor’s voice softened.
“Arthur told Voss you had the backup.”
I stopped breathing.
“What?”
“He used your name as insurance.”
“No.”
“He told Voss that if anything happened to him, his sister would release the files.”
“But I didn’t even know the drive existed.”
“Voss didn’t know that.”
My eyes burned.
“So those men…”
“Leon was supposed to find you before Voss did.”
“And instead he beat me.”
Victor looked away for the first time.
“Yes.”
“You caused this.”
“Yes.”
“You keep agreeing with me.”
“Because lying would make it worse.”
A knock interrupted us.
The gray-haired man entered.
“Victor.”
“What?”
“We identified the vehicles at Pier 19.”
Victor waited.
“Voss.”
The room changed instantly.
Victor’s voice became colder.
“Casualties?”
“None. We were gone before they entered.”
“And Leon?”
The man hesitated.
Victor saw it.
“What happened?”
“Leon disappeared.”
Victor’s face hardened.
“He didn’t disappear.”
“No.”
“He defected.”
“Looks that way.”
My stomach dropped.
Victor looked toward the flash drive.
Then toward me.
“Sadie, from this moment on, nobody knows where you are.”
I stood too fast.
Pain shot through my ribs.
“I’m calling Arthur.”
“No.”
“He’s my brother.”
“He sold your name to a man who would kill you for what’s on that drive.”
“You don’t know that he meant—”
Victor’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His eyes narrowed.
“Speak.”
A distorted voice came through loudly enough for me to hear.
“Victor.”
Victor went motionless.
Arthur.
I lunged for the phone.
“Arthur!”
Silence.
Then my brother spoke.
“Sadie?”
“Where are you?”
“You’re with Hale?”
“Yes.”
“Listen carefully. Don’t give him the drive.”
Victor watched me.
I gripped the phone.
“You put it in my jacket.”
“I had no choice.”
“You told Dominic Voss I had it.”
More silence.
My heart sank.
“Arthur?”
“I needed time.”
“You used me.”
“Sadie, you don’t understand.”
“Then explain it.”
Arthur’s breathing changed.
“I can’t.”
A second voice appeared in the background.
Smooth.
Calm.
“Actually, Arthur, I think you should.”
Victor’s face went completely still.
Arthur whispered one word.
“Dominic.”
May you like
Then the line went dead.
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