Chapter 11 - THE ISLAND OF FALSE DEATHS
Île Noire appeared empty from the water.
A lighthouse stood on the western cliff.
An abandoned research station occupied the center of the island.
Satellite images showed no active residents.
Thermal scans revealed at least fourteen people inside the station.
Victor contacted Detective Lena Fournier, the investigator leading the attempted-murder case.
He shared Marcel’s video, the location and evidence connecting Roman to the contingency fund.
Fournier requested a tactical maritime unit.
She warned Victor to remain on the support vessel.
He agreed.
He had no intention of remaining there.
Mateo prepared a compact all-terrain chair capable of crossing rough ground.
The chair used rubber tracks instead of wheels.
Victor transferred into it before sunrise.
He carried a small camera and communication unit.
He was not armed.
Mateo and Sofia accompanied the police team onto the island.
They entered through an old supply tunnel beneath the cliffs.
The passage smelled of fuel and salt.
Names had been carved into one wall.
Some belonged to executives officially declared dead.
Others belonged to missing witnesses.
Île Noire had been used for years to hide people who needed to disappear.
Some came willingly.
Others did not.
The tunnel opened beneath the research station.
Victor heard children whispering behind a locked door.
Police opened it.
Celia’s sons were inside.
They were frightened but unharmed.
Celia sat beside them.
Her wrists were tied.
She stared at Victor.
“You are alive.”
“So are you.”
She began crying.
Victor had not seen his sister cry since childhood.
“I thought they killed you.”
“You helped them try.”
“I gave Camilla access codes.”
“You attended the celebration.”
“Roman had the boys.”
Victor’s voice remained cold.
“You hated me before Roman threatened you.”
“Yes.”
Celia lowered her eyes.
“I wanted my share.”
“I wanted you humiliated.”
“I told myself Camilla only planned to remove you from the company.”
“When did you learn about the pier?”
“The night before.”
“And you did nothing.”
“I called Mother.”
“What did she say?”
“She said the family would survive.”
Victor understood.
Isabelle knew enough to stop the murder.
She chose the company over her son.
Celia gave police the location of Marcel’s room.
They found it empty.
A warm cup of coffee rested on the table.
An underground elevator led toward the lighthouse.
Victor entered with Mateo and Detective Fournier.
At the top, they found Jonathan Ward tied to a chair.
Adrian stood near the window.
He raised his hands when police entered.
“Roman took Marcel through the eastern tunnel.”
“Why are you helping Roman?” Elena asked through Victor’s communication device.
Adrian looked toward the camera.
“I was not helping him.”
“I was infiltrating Meridian.”
“For fifteen years?”
“Roman controlled information about Marcel, the network and our family.”
“I stayed dead because the living version of me would have endangered all of you.”
Jonathan looked at his son with anger.
“You let us mourn you.”
“I kept you alive.”
Victor almost laughed at the familiar excuse.
Everyone in their world used protection to justify silence.
A distant explosion shook the lighthouse.
Smoke rose from the eastern shore.
Roman had destroyed the island’s main dock.
A helicopter lifted from behind the cliffs.
Marcel sat inside.
Roman held a pistol against his side.
The aircraft turned toward open water.
May you like
Then Victor saw the pilot.
It was Camilla.
