Chapter 10 - Locker 417
Union Station had been renovated twice since Daniel’s grandfather used its underground lockers.
The public saw polished marble floors, restaurants, shops, and bright signs.
Few knew about the lower level.
Daniel did.
His grandfather had once shown him the old private vault room when he was twelve.
They entered through a service corridor.
Martin stayed above.
He did not trust himself to be seen.
Emily and Daniel descended together.
The vault attendant barely looked at them.
Daniel presented identification.
Emily handed over the key.
Locker 417 was narrow and deep.
Daniel opened it.
Inside was a metal case.
Nothing else.
Emily expected something dramatic.
Old documents tied with string.
Maybe photographs.
Instead, the case contained three accounting ledgers and a small digital recorder.
Daniel picked up the first book.
Pages of handwritten transfers.
Names.
Dates.
Amounts.
Initials.
Victoria’s appeared repeatedly.
V.C.
Richard’s appeared twice.
R.C.
Thomas Vale.
T.V.
Michael Harper.
M.H.
Then another set.
E.H.
Emily touched the letters.
Her aunt.
A woman she had never known existed.
Daniel turned pages.
At the back, several newer entries appeared.
Within the last year.
V.C.
Twenty million.
Another payment.
Six million.
Another.
Twelve.
Emily whispered, “Victoria is still doing this.”
Daniel’s expression was grim.
Then he stopped.
One entry had been made three weeks earlier.
Recipient: AURORA MEDICAL HOLDINGS.
Amount: 8,000,000.
Authorized: V.C.
Reference: BIRTH EVENT.
Emily stared at those words.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel did not know.
His phone buzzed.
A photograph arrived.
Rachel sitting in a chair.
Not tied.
Not visibly injured.
But terrified.
Behind her was a white wall.
A message followed.
FIVE MINUTES.
Daniel photographed every ledger page.
Then Emily stopped him.
“If they search your phone?”
He looked at her.
She pulled her own phone out.
“Send everything to my school email.”
Daniel blinked.
“Your school email?”
“Nobody plotting an international financial conspiracy is going to search third-grade lesson plans.”
He almost laughed.
The sound surprised both of them.
For one moment they were simply Daniel and Emily again.
Then he sent the files.
They returned the ledgers to the case.
Emily took the digital recorder.
Daniel looked at her.
“What are you doing?”
“If this contains something important, I don’t want them getting all of it.”
She slipped it into the inner pocket of her maternity dress.
Daniel stared at her stomach.
“Does pregnancy clothing secretly contain endless storage?”
“You would know if you ever did laundry.”
“This is not the time.”
“It might be our last chance to argue about domestic labor.”
Daniel’s face changed immediately.
“Don’t say that.”
Emily touched his cheek.
“Then make sure it isn’t.”
They carried the case upstairs.
The instructions directed them to an abandoned platform.
Rachel stood near a bench.
A man beside her wore a dark coat.
Not Victoria.
Emily had never seen him.
Daniel held the case.
“Let her go.”
The man smiled.
“Mr. Carter.”
“Who are you?”
“Someone cleaning up an old problem.”
“Rachel first.”
The man nodded.
Rachel walked toward them.
She reached Emily.
“You okay?” Emily whispered.
“Yes.”
The man extended his hand.
“The case.”
Daniel set it on the ground and pushed it across the floor.
The man opened it.
Checked the ledgers.
Then smiled.
“Good.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Tell Victoria we’re finished.”
The man looked amused.
“Victoria?”
His expression changed.
“You still think your sister is in charge?”
Before Daniel could answer, station lights went out.
Emily heard Rachel scream.
Daniel grabbed her.
Footsteps.
A metal door slammed.
Emergency lights flickered on.
The man was gone.
So was the case.
Rachel was still beside them.
They had traded the ledger successfully.
But Emily still had the recorder.
Daniel looked toward the tunnel.
“Whoever that was, he wasn’t working for Victoria.”
Rachel rubbed her wrists.
“She wasn’t the one who took me.”
“Who did?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did they say?”
Rachel looked at Emily.
“One thing.”
May you like
“What?”
“They kept asking when the baby was due.”
