Chapter 3 - The Name They Should Have Remembered
Gabriel's tone changed instantly.
“What happened?”
“They hurt Evelyn.”
“How badly?”
“She survived.”
“And the baby?”
Daniel couldn't answer immediately.
Gabriel understood.
“Oh, God.”
“Rose is gone.”
Another silence.
Then:
“What do you need?”
Daniel looked at the seven people watching him.
“No violence.”
Caleb laughed.
Daniel continued.
“Nobody gets touched. Nobody gets threatened.”
Lorraine rolled her eyes.
“This is embarrassing.”
Daniel turned away from her.
“Gabriel.”
“I'm listening.”
“I need everything connected to Lorraine Voss and the six men with her.”
“Define everything.”
“Loans. Liens. Mortgages. Silent partners. Leases. Insurance policies. Supplier contracts. Pending acquisitions.”
Gabriel paused.
“Daniel…”
“What?”
“You're asking me to reopen the network.”
“For tonight.”
“And after tonight?”
“I go home.”
“To what?”
Daniel looked through the ICU window.
“To Evelyn.”
Gabriel understood.
“How quickly?”
“Immediately.”
“And once I find everything?”
Daniel's eyes returned to Lorraine.
“Close every door.”
“Understood.”
Daniel ended the call.
Travis laughed.
“What was that supposed to be?”
“Nothing.”
Daniel slipped the phone into his pocket.
Caleb shook his head.
“You're insane.”
“Possibly.”
“You think one phone call scares us?”
“No.”
Daniel checked the clock.
“Give it ten minutes.”
Lorraine stared at him.
“Who did you call?”
“Someone I used to work with.”
“What kind of work?”
Daniel didn't answer.
Caleb scoffed.
“Probably flipping houses.”
Daniel walked toward the ICU window.
Then Caleb's phone rang.
“Yeah?”
His expression changed.
“What?”
Everyone turned.
“What do you mean, terminated?”
Travis's phone started ringing.
Then Dean's.
Then Noah's.
Wade checked his screen.
“Why is my bank calling?”
Within seconds, everyone was talking.
“My credit line is frozen!”
“Who canceled the policy?”
“No, don't transfer me!”
“What mortgage note?”
Lorraine stood in the middle of them.
“What is happening?”
Caleb lowered his phone.
“Our trucking insurance was terminated.”
Travis stared at Daniel.
“My business credit line was suspended.”
Dean looked pale.
“Somebody bought the note on our warehouse.”
Lorraine slowly turned toward Daniel.
His expression hadn't changed.
Then her phone rang.
She answered sharply.
“Lorraine Voss.”
She listened.
“What?”
Her face changed.
“No. Absolutely not.”
Daniel continued watching Evelyn through the glass.
Lorraine's voice rose.
“You cannot terminate that agreement!”
Pause.
“We have six years remaining!”
Another pause.
“You'll hear from my attorneys!”
She hung up.
Caleb approached her.
“What?”
Lorraine didn't answer.
Daniel did.
“The processing facility.”
Everyone looked at him.
“It sits on leased land.”
Lorraine stared.
“How do you know that?”
“The company controlling the lease changed ownership.”
“When?”
Daniel checked his watch.
“About eleven minutes ago.”
Her mouth opened.
“Who bought it?”
“I did.”
Nobody laughed.
Wade finally said, “That's impossible.”
“Normally.”
Daniel looked toward the elevator.
“But Gabriel isn't normal.”
The doors opened.
Three men walked out.
The oldest wore a dark gray coat.
His hair had turned silver.
Daniel hadn't seen him in four years.
Gabriel Shaw stopped in front of him.
For a moment, neither man spoke.
Then Gabriel extended his hand.
“It's been a long time, Mr. Mercer.”
Daniel shook it.
“It has.”
Caleb frowned.
“You know him?”
Gabriel looked at Caleb.
“I know everyone in this hallway.”
Caleb froze.
Dean took one step backward.
Noah whispered:
“Oh, God.”
Lorraine looked around.
“What?”
Nobody answered.
“What?”
Caleb stared at Daniel.
“Mercer.”
Lorraine frowned.
“Obviously. That's his name.”
“No.”
Caleb swallowed.
“Daniel Mercer.”
Gabriel watched him.
Caleb's voice became quieter.
May you like
“From Mobile.”
And suddenly Lorraine stopped looking at Daniel like a handyman.
