Chapter 8 - The Brother Who Finally Became Afraid)
The first man reached the staircase.
Maya heard him.
Slow footsteps.
Controlled.
Julian moved toward the bedroom window.
"Second floor," Maya whispered.
"I know."
"You'll break your neck."
"Better than what they'll do."
Another footstep.
Julian opened the window.
Maya heard Elena groan downstairs.
She made a decision she would later struggle to explain.
She helped Julian escape.
Not because she forgave him.
Not because she trusted him.
Because he knew something.
Julian climbed onto the roof above the porch.
Maya followed.
"What are you doing?"
"Making sure you don't disappear."
They moved along the roofline.
A bedroom door slammed open behind them.
Maya didn't look back.
Julian jumped.
He landed badly on the lawn.
Maya climbed down a trellis.
A man appeared at the window.
"Stop!"
They ran.
Elena's backup vehicle sat behind the barn.
Julian drove.
Maya called Daniel as soon as they regained signal.
He answered instantly.
"Maya!"
"I'm okay."
"Where are you?"
"With Julian."
Silence.
Daniel's voice changed.
"Why?"
"Someone attacked the farmhouse."
"Where's Elena?"
"I don't know."
Daniel said something to Marcus.
Then:
"Send your location."
Maya did.
"Don't let Julian out of your sight."
Julian laughed bitterly.
"Tell my brother that's the first thing we've agreed on."
Daniel heard him.
"Put him on."
Maya activated speaker.
Daniel's voice filled the car.
"Julian."
"Hey, big brother."
"If Maya has one new bruise when I see her—"
"I didn't come here to hurt her."
"You lost the right to ask me to believe you."
Julian swallowed.
"Architect is killing everyone connected to the operation."
"Then start talking."
"Not on the phone."
"Talk."
Julian gripped the wheel.
"Mom was there."
Daniel became silent.
"The night Dad died."
Maya looked at Julian.
Daniel asked:
"Where?"
"Route 17."
"How do you know?"
"Because she came home covered in blood."
Julian's voice cracked.
"I was staying with her."
Daniel said nothing.
"She walked into the house around two in the morning. Her blouse was ripped. There was blood on her sleeve."
"Whose blood?"
"I don't know."
"What did she say?"
"Nothing."
"Julian."
"She went upstairs and burned her clothes in the fireplace."
Daniel felt sick.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"I was twenty-two and owed people money."
"So?"
"So Dad had refused to help me."
Julian's voice became bitter.
"Mom said she was fixing everything."
Daniel closed his eyes.
"By killing him?"
"I didn't know."
"Eleven years, Julian."
"I didn't know!"
"You're lying."
"I knew something happened. I didn't know what."
Maya watched Julian.
His hands trembled on the wheel.
Daniel asked:
"What changed?"
"Three years ago, Sloan got drunk."
"And?"
"He told me Dad should've taken the deal."
"What deal?"
"Transfer Hayes Freight."
Daniel looked at Samuel's case.
"What did Mom sign?"
"I don't know."
"Find a better answer."
"I swear."
Daniel wanted to hate him without complication.
But Julian sounded genuinely terrified.
Then Maya noticed headlights behind them.
"Julian."
He checked the mirror.
Black SUV.
No plates.
Julian accelerated.
The SUV accelerated.
Maya grabbed the dashboard.
"They're following us."
Daniel heard.
"Where are you?"
"County Road 8."
Marcus grabbed another phone.
"Take the next right."
Julian turned.
The SUV followed.
"Faster," Maya said.
"I'm trying."
The road narrowed.
Trees on both sides.
Daniel remained on speaker.
"Three miles ahead there's an abandoned service station."
Marcus interrupted.
"Don't stop there. Pass it. Half mile later, turn onto the gravel road."
Julian drove.
The SUV struck their rear bumper.
Maya screamed.
Daniel stood helplessly inside the Dominion Heritage office, listening.
"Julian!"
"I'm fine!"
Another impact.
Julian fought the steering wheel.
The gravel road appeared.
He turned hard.
The SUV overshot.
Julian accelerated.
Ahead, two vehicles waited.
Marcus's people.
The black SUV disappeared rather than engage.
Maya finally breathed.
Twenty minutes later, Daniel arrived.
He ran toward Maya.
She threw herself into his arms.
Daniel held her.
Then he saw Julian.
His expression hardened.
Julian stood beside the vehicle.
Daniel approached.
Julian didn't move.
Daniel punched him.
Once.
Julian fell.
Maya shouted:
"Daniel!"
Daniel grabbed his brother's shirt.
"You touched my wife."
Julian spat blood.
"I know."
"You terrorized her."
"I know."
Daniel pulled him up.
"You don't get to say you know."
Julian looked into his brother's eyes.
"No."
His voice broke.
"I don't."
Daniel wanted to hit him again.
Instead, he released him.
"You're going to tell me everything."
Julian nodded.
They moved to another secure location.
There, Julian confessed.
The debt.
Sloan.
The fake emails.
The cameras.
The transfers.
The competency plan.
Victoria had recruited him.
But Julian insisted Victoria herself answered to someone else.
Architect.
"Have you met Architect?"
"No."
"Never?"
"Only voice calls."
"What does Architect want?"
"Control."
"Of my company?"
Julian shook his head.
"Your company isn't worth enough."
Daniel stared.
"What?"
Julian gave a hollow laugh.
"You think this is about Hayes Strategic Logistics?"
"Then what?"
"Your government contracts."
Daniel's expression changed.
Hayes Strategic Logistics had recently been shortlisted for a major Department of Defense transportation contract.
Julian continued.
"They don't want your company."
He looked directly at Daniel.
"They want access to what your company will carry."
"What?"
"I don't know."
"Try harder."
"I swear."
Daniel studied him.
Then Julian said:
"There's something else."
"What?"
"Friday isn't a transfer."
Daniel waited.
"It's a delivery."
"What delivery?"
Julian swallowed.
"I heard Sloan call it Nightglass."
Daniel had never heard the word.
Marcus had.
His expression changed immediately.
Daniel noticed.
"What?"
Marcus looked toward Julian.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Daniel stepped closer.
"What is Nightglass?"
Marcus didn't answer immediately.
Then he said:
"It's a classified logistics designation."
Daniel felt the room become colder.
"For what?"
Marcus looked at him.
"I don't know."
"But?"
"But your father mentioned it once."
Daniel stared.
"When?"
May you like
"Eleven years ago."
The same year Samuel Hayes died.
