Chapter 5 - THE TRAITOR IN THE PENTHOUSE
Julian did not shout.
That frightened everyone more.
“Lock the building.”
Derek was already calling security.
“Every exit.”
“Done.”
“No one leaves.”
“Understood.”
Julian looked at Maya.
“You stay with me.”
She nodded this time.
No argument.
They returned to the penthouse in eleven minutes.
The entire building was under lockdown.
Security officers stood at every elevator.
Julian walked through the foyer without slowing.
“Where did the transfer originate?”
“Your study.”
Julian entered.
His computer was still on.
A banking interface covered the screen.
The transfer confirmation remained visible.
Forty-two million dollars.
Gone.
Maya stared.
“Can you reverse it?”
Derek shook his head.
“Not through ordinary channels.”
Julian looked around.
Nothing appeared disturbed.
A small vase of white flowers sat near the window.
Maya noticed it first.
“That wasn’t there this morning.”
Julian turned.
Maya approached.
“Don’t touch it.”
She stopped.
Derek examined the arrangement.
A folded card was tucked between the stems.
He put on gloves and removed it.
Only six words were written.
YOU SHOULD HAVE LET HER DROWN.
Julian stared at the message.
Maya felt sick.
“What does that mean?”
Julian did not respond.
Derek moved toward the security system.
“Camera recordings are wiped.”
“All of them?”
“Past four hours.”
Julian’s face remained blank.
“Who had access?”
“Elena.”
“And?”
Derek hesitated.
“You.”
Julian looked at him.
“And me.”
The room went silent.
Maya frowned.
“So either Elena did it.”
“Yes.”
“Or someone used your credentials.”
“Yes.”
Julian studied the flowers.
Maya noticed something beneath the vase.
A small piece of paper.
She pointed.
Derek lifted it.
A photograph.
Julian at twenty years old.
Standing beside his parents.
Maya looked at him.
Julian’s face changed almost imperceptibly.
“Where did they get that?”
“Vale took it from my father’s house after they died.”
Maya whispered.
“He kept it?”
“For fifteen years.”
Derek looked toward the door.
“This wasn’t Elena acting alone.”
Julian nodded.
“No.”
“Could she have been forced?”
“Yes.”
Maya looked between them.
“You both think she’s alive.”
Julian did not answer.
Maya stepped closer.
“She called me.”
“That proves she was alive several minutes ago.”
“She warned us.”
“She may also have allowed someone into this building.”
Maya’s anger rose.
“You don’t know that.”
“No.”
“Then stop talking about her like she betrayed us.”
Julian turned.
“I am talking about possibilities.”
“She’s my friend.”
His expression softened slightly.
“I know.”
“You don’t trust anyone.”
“That is why I am still alive.”
“And maybe why everyone around you ends up alone.”
The words landed harder than Maya intended.
Julian went silent.
She immediately regretted them.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
He looked back at the photograph.
“You’re not wrong.”
Derek’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“We found Elena’s vehicle.”
“Where?”
“Lower Wacker.”
“Empty?”
Derek listened.
“No.”
Maya’s stomach dropped.
“What?”
Derek looked at her.
“There’s blood.”
Maya covered her mouth.
“How much?”
“Unknown.”
Julian was already moving.
“You’re staying here.”
Maya glared at him.
He stopped.
Then closed his eyes briefly.
“Would you prefer to come?”
She almost smiled despite everything.
“Yes.”
“Fine.”
Derek shook his head.
“This new communication strategy is terrifying.”
They reached Lower Wacker fifteen minutes later.
Elena’s SUV stood abandoned beneath yellow streetlights.
The driver’s door was open.
Blood streaked the steering wheel.
Maya approached slowly.
“Elena?”
No answer.
A phone lay smashed beneath the passenger seat.
Derek found shell casings.
“Three rounds.”
Julian examined the pavement.
“No body.”
Maya saw drag marks.
“They took her.”
“Likely.”
A security officer approached.
“Mr. Croft.”
Julian turned.
“We found a camera across the intersection.”
“Footage?”
“City traffic feed.”
He showed them the recording.
Elena’s SUV appeared at 11:17 PM.
A second vehicle blocked her.
Two masked men dragged her out.
Maya watched Elena struggle.
Then a third person stepped from the second vehicle.
No mask.
Maya stopped breathing.
Derek stared.
Julian’s expression became unreadable.
Maya whispered.
“No.”
The man on the video was one of Julian’s oldest associates.
Thomas Rourke.
Maya knew him.
Everyone did.
Thomas had attended Christmas dinners at the penthouse.
He had known Julian since they were teenagers.
He had called Julian brother.
Derek cursed.
Julian said nothing.
Maya looked at him.
“Julian.”
Still nothing.
“Say something.”
Julian’s eyes remained fixed on Thomas’s image.
“My father trusted him.”
Derek moved closer.
“Julian.”
“My father hid him after Vale killed his brother.”
“Julian.”
“He was at my parents’ funeral.”
Maya watched Julian’s face.
Something was breaking behind it.
Derek spoke quietly.
“We don’t know why he was there.”
Julian finally looked at him.
“He took Elena.”
“We know what the video shows.”
“He took Elena.”
“Yes.”
Julian turned away.
Maya followed him.
“Where would Thomas go?”
“There are fifty places.”
“Which one matters?”
Julian looked at her.
“What?”
“If he wanted you to find him, where would he go?”
Derek frowned.
“That is actually a good question.”
Julian looked back at the photograph on the screen.
Then something clicked.
“My father’s old restaurant.”
Derek’s head snapped up.
“Closed twelve years.”
“Exactly.”
They drove south.
The restaurant had once been called Croft’s Table.
Now the windows were boarded.
The sign hung crooked.
Julian entered through the kitchen.
Dust covered everything.
Maya followed behind Derek.
A light glowed in the dining room.
Someone had placed a chair in the center.
Elena sat tied to it.
Her head hung forward.
“Elena!”
Maya ran.
Julian caught her.
“Wait.”
Derek scanned the room.
“No movement.”
Julian approached Elena.
She was breathing.
Maya rushed forward.
“Elena.”
Elena lifted her head weakly.
Her lip was split.
“Maya.”
Maya began cutting the tape around her wrists.
“Thomas did this?”
Elena’s eyes filled with panic.
“No.”
Everyone stopped.
Julian crouched.
“We saw him.”
“He was trying to get me out.”
“What?”
“He found out someone was using my credentials.”
Derek frowned.
“The video showed him dragging you.”
“Because I’d been shot.”
Maya looked down.
Blood covered Elena’s side.
“Oh God.”
Elena grabbed Maya’s arm.
“Thomas isn’t the traitor.”
Julian stared.
“Then who is?”
Elena looked at him.
“I don’t know.”
Julian’s face hardened.
“You called Maya.”
“Yes.”
“You told her not to trust me.”
Elena closed her eyes.
“I wasn’t talking about you.”
Maya frowned.
“You said don’t trust Julian.”
Elena shook her head weakly.
“No.”
She reached into her coat.
Derek raised his weapon.
Elena produced a tiny recorder.
“The call was being intercepted.”
Julian understood.
“You fed them false information.”
“Yes.”
She coughed.
“I needed whoever was listening to think I was turning Maya against you.”
“Why?”
“Because Thomas found this.”
She handed him a flash drive.
Julian took it.
“What is it?”
Elena looked at Maya.
“A recording from the day Maya was hired.”
Maya froze.
“We recovered it from the old agency server.”
“What recording?”
Elena’s voice dropped.
“Your interview.”
Maya stared.
“That’s impossible.”
“The agency recorded applicants without permission.”
Julian’s expression darkened.
Elena continued.
“There were two people behind the mirrored glass.”
Maya suddenly remembered the small office.
The strange mirror.
The woman who interviewed her.
Elena swallowed.
“One was the agency director.”
“And the other?”
Elena looked at Julian.
“Thomas recognized him.”
Julian’s face changed.
“Who?”
Elena began to answer.
A red laser dot appeared on her chest.
Maya screamed.
Julian threw himself forward.
A bullet shattered the window.
Derek fired into the darkness.
Julian pulled Maya and Elena behind an overturned table.
More shots tore through the abandoned restaurant.
Derek’s men returned fire.
Maya pressed her hands against Elena’s wound.
“Stay with me.”
Elena gasped.
“You need to hear the recording.”
“Who was behind the mirror?”
Elena looked at Maya.
Her eyes filled with terror.
“A man who died twenty-three years ago.”
Maya stared.
“What?”
Elena whispered the name.
“Gabriel Croft.”
Julian went completely still.
Maya looked at him.
“Who is Gabriel?”
Julian’s face turned white.
“My uncle.”
Another bullet hit the wall.
Julian barely reacted.
Maya stared at him.
“You said he died.”
“He did.”
“When?”
Julian’s voice cracked for the first time Maya had ever heard.
“When I was twelve.”
Elena clutched Maya’s wrist.
“No.”
She gasped.
May you like
“He didn’t.”
And somewhere outside the ruined restaurant, a man Julian had mourned for more than two decades gave the order to kill everyone inside.
