Chapter 18 - Victor’s Choice
Victor should have been in custody.
He had escaped transport two hours earlier.
Now we knew why.
Polk pointed the gun at him.
“You.”
Victor looked at Mom.
Then me.
“I’m sorry.”
Mom said nothing.
Victor continued.
“I spent six years telling myself Harris killed Michael.”
His voice broke.
“But I handed him the knife.”
He looked at me.
“I put it under Caroline’s bed.”
Then Ethan.
“I let you grow up without your mother.”
Tears filled his eyes.
“I did all of that.”
Polk sneered.
“Beautiful confession.”
Victor ignored him.
“I’m done.”
He moved toward the basement door.
Polk raised the gun.
“Stop.”
Victor did not.
A shot exploded.
Victor stumbled.
Mom screamed.
He kept moving.
Polk fired again.
Victor fell against the wall.
But his hand reached the emergency panel.
He ripped open the cover.
Inside were wires.
“Victor!”
I shouted.
He looked at me.
“Your dad and I built this place.”
Blood spread across his shirt.
“I know how to kill the fuel line.”
Polk lunged.
I tackled Ethan to the floor as another gunshot cracked.
Mom grabbed a metal chair and struck Polk’s arm.
The gun slid away.
Victor tore two wires free.
The alarm died.
The basement countdown stopped at eighteen seconds.
Federal agents forced open a side shutter.
They stormed inside.
Polk reached for the gun.
Mom kicked it away.
Agents tackled him.
It was over.
Almost.
I crawled toward Victor.
He was breathing.
Barely.
He looked at me.
“I loved Michael.”
I cried.
“You destroyed him.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
“Because I was jealous.”
No excuse.
Just truth.
“I wanted Rachel.”
A pause.
“I wanted Noah.”
Another.
“I wanted the company.”
He coughed.
“And every time Michael had something I wanted, I told myself he had stolen it from me.”
Tears ran down his face.
“But I was the thief.”
The paramedics arrived.
Victor grabbed my wrist.
“Tell Caroline…”
Mom knelt beside him.
“You tell me yourself.”
Victor looked at her.
“I’m sorry.”
Mom’s face was unreadable.
“You should be.”
He closed his eyes.
But he did not die.
Not there.
Paramedics carried him out.
Polk was placed in handcuffs.
As they took him past me, he smiled.
“You think the card proves everything?”
I stared.
“It proves enough.”
“No.”
He leaned closer.
“Michael had another copy.”
My heart pounded.
“So?”
May you like
Polk smiled.
“And that copy proves your father was never the target.”
