Chapter 13 - Midnight at Cross Tower
Cross Tower appeared nearly empty at midnight.
Celeste had ordered most executive floors cleared.
Abby entered through the employee entrance wearing the same plain cleaning uniform she had worn on the day everything began.
That was intentional.
Celeste wanted the symbolism.
So did Abby.
A tiny transmitter was hidden inside Pearl’s handle.
Julian listened from a surveillance van two blocks away.
Federal agents waited nearby.
The problem was Caleb.
They did not know where he was.
If agents moved too early, he might die.
Abby rode the service elevator to the penthouse.
The same hallway.
The same bedroom.
The same dresser.
Celeste stood beside it.
And on the dresser sat three hundred thousand dollars.
Abby stopped.
Celeste smiled.
“I thought you might appreciate the joke.”
Abby stared at the money.
“This was Julian’s test.”
“Yes.”
“He believed it was his idea.”
Abby’s expression changed.
Celeste laughed.
“Men like Julian enjoy believing their cruelty is original.”
Abby stepped inside.
“Where is Caleb?”
“Safe.”
“Show me.”
“In time.”
Celeste pointed toward Pearl.
“The recording.”
Abby held it tighter.
“Brother first.”
Celeste smiled.
“You really are Marianne’s daughter.”
Abby’s pulse hammered.
“Did you know her well?”
“No.”
The answer came too quickly.
Abby noticed.
“You knew enough to destroy her life.”
“Your mother was a cleaner who confused proximity with importance.”
Abby felt rage.
She controlled it.
“She was important enough to scare you for twenty-two years.”
Celeste’s smile disappeared.
Good.
Abby continued.
“Important enough for you to frame me before I even knew why.”
“You were supposed to disappear.”
“Like she did?”
“Yes.”
The word slipped out.
Abby heard Julian inhale through the hidden earpiece.
Celeste realized too late.
She recovered.
“Give me the recording.”
Abby placed Pearl on the dresser.
“The tape is inside.”
Celeste reached toward it.
Abby grabbed her wrist.
“Caleb.”
Celeste stared at Abby’s hand.
Then at her face.
“You are forgetting your position.”
Abby almost laughed.
“That’s the problem with you.”
“What?”
“You think position is the same thing as worth.”
Celeste pulled her hand free.
She took out her phone.
A video appeared.
Caleb sat tied to a chair.
He looked bruised but conscious.
Behind him was a concrete wall.
A digital clock showed the current time.
Live feed.
Abby’s chest tightened.
“Where is he?”
“Close.”
“Release him.”
“The recording.”
Abby opened Pearl.
She removed the cassette.
Celeste’s eyes fixed on it.
Then another voice came from the doorway.
“Don’t give it to her.”
Abby turned.
Martin Voss stood there.
A pistol hung at his side.
Celeste’s face hardened.
“You were told to stay with the boy.”
Voss looked at her.
“I changed my mind.”
Abby’s pulse jumped.
Something was wrong between them.
Voss closed the door.
“For twenty-two years I cleaned up your mistakes.”
Celeste laughed.
“You were paid very well.”
“Not well enough.”
Julian listened from the van.
Agents waited.
Abby kept Celeste talking.
“What happened to Patricia?”
Voss looked at her.
“Alive.”
Abby’s knees almost weakened.
“Where?”
“With your brother.”
Celeste snapped.
“Martin.”
Voss ignored her.
“She was useful.”
“For what?”
“To convince Sloan you were worth more alive.”
Abby stared.
“Sloan.”
“The guard?”
“He wanted money.”
“Everyone does.”
Julian heard that line.
So did Abby.
The philosophy again.
The sickness beneath all of it.
Voss continued.
“Patricia survived because I may need a witness against Celeste.”
Celeste laughed.
“You?”
“A witness?”
“You killed Elena.”
Voss’s jaw tightened.
“You ordered it.”
Abby’s heart pounded.
Julian whispered into the earpiece.
“Keep them talking.”
Abby asked.
“Did you cut Elena’s brakes?”
Voss looked at her.
“Yes.”
The confession hung in the room.
Celeste’s face changed.
“You idiot.”
Voss smiled.
“Why?”
“Afraid someone is listening?”
His eyes moved to Pearl.
Abby froze.
Voss walked toward it.
He lifted the feather duster.
He examined the handle.
Then he smashed it against the dresser.
The transmitter cracked.
The signal died.
In the van, Julian ripped off the headset.
“Move.”
Federal agents began entering the tower.
Inside the penthouse, Abby stared at broken Pearl.
Something inside her snapped.
Voss noticed.
“Sentimental?”
“That belonged to my mother.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“It belonged to a dead woman your mother should have forgotten.”
Abby stepped toward him.
Celeste grabbed the cassette.
Abby spun.
Celeste ran toward the fireplace.
Abby lunged.
The cassette fell.
Voss reached for it.
Celeste kicked it toward the flames.
Abby dove.
Her fingers closed around the tape inches from the fire.
Voss grabbed the back of her uniform.
Then a gunshot exploded.
Abby froze.
Voss staggered.
Blood appeared on his shoulder.
Celeste held a small pistol.
“You always were disposable, Martin.”
Voss fell against the dresser.
Abby crawled backward.
Celeste aimed at him again.
Before she could fire, the penthouse lights went out.
Emergency alarms sounded.
Julian had triggered the building lockdown.
Celeste cursed.
Abby ran.
She knew the penthouse layout from cleaning it.
Celeste did not know which direction Abby had taken.
Voss groaned behind them.
Abby reached the service hallway.
A hand grabbed her.
She almost screamed.
Julian.
“You weren’t supposed to come up.”
“You stopped transmitting.”
“She shot Voss.”
“Where is Caleb?”
“Somewhere nearby.”
Julian took the cassette.
“You need to get downstairs.”
“No.”
“Abigail.”
“I’m not leaving without Caleb.”
He knew arguing was useless.
They moved toward the security-control floor.
Celeste’s people had locked doors remotely.
Julian used old mechanical override keys.
On level forty-four, they found blood.
Then Patricia.
She lay behind a maintenance door with her wrists bound.
Alive.
Abby dropped beside her.
“Patricia.”
Patricia opened her eyes.
“They moved Caleb.”
“Where?”
“Old server room.”
Julian knew it.
Level thirty-nine.
They ran.
Federal agents were still clearing upper floors.
Voss’s loyal security officers had created confusion with false alarms.
The elevators were locked.
Abby and Julian took the stairs.
On level thirty-nine, they heard shouting.
Caleb.
Abby ran faster.
The server-room door stood open.
Caleb was tied to a chair.
Eric Sloan stood behind him holding a gun.
“Stop.”
Abby froze.
Julian did too.
Sloan looked terrified.
Not loyal.
Desperate.
“Give me the tape.”
Julian slowly lifted the cassette.
“What did Celeste promise you?”
“Five million.”
Abby almost laughed.
“Of course.”
Sloan’s hand shook.
“Don’t.”
“You framed me for twenty thousand.”
“That was Voss.”
“You planted evidence on Caleb.”
“I was paid.”
“Everybody keeps saying that like money has hands.”
Sloan looked confused.
Abby took one step closer.
“Money didn’t break into my apartment.”
“You did.”
“Money didn’t tie my brother to a chair.”
“You did.”
“Money isn’t pointing that gun.”
“You are.”
Sloan’s hand shook harder.
Caleb watched him.
Julian said quietly.
“You still have a choice.”
Sloan laughed.
“You’re the man who tests people with cash.”
“Yes.”
Julian’s voice changed.
“And I was wrong.”
Abby looked at him.
Sloan did too.
Julian continued.
“I thought people failed because everyone had a price.”
“The truth is simpler.”
“People fail when they decide the price excuses the choice.”
Sloan’s eyes filled with panic.
Sirens sounded closer.
He knew it was over.
The gun lowered.
Abby exhaled.
Then a shot cracked from the doorway.
Sloan dropped.
Celeste stood behind him.
Caleb screamed.
Celeste raised the gun toward Abby.
Julian stepped in front of her.
Celeste laughed.
“There you are.”
She aimed directly at her nephew.
“You really should have stayed suspended.”
Abby saw something behind Celeste.
Martin Voss.
Bleeding.
Barely standing.
He raised his weapon.
For one terrible second, Abby did not know which of them would fire first.
Then Voss said.
“Twenty-two years, Celeste.”
She turned.
He smiled weakly.
“My price just went up.”
May you like
The gunfire began.
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