Chapter 7 - EVERYONE WAS BAITClaire finally understood.
Adrian hadn't merely lured her.
He had used her to lure Voss.
Voss demanded the ledger.
Adrian claimed he didn't have it.
For the first time, Voss looked uncertain.
Then Mason reached inside his jacket.
He removed Claire's cream envelope.
She stared.
“You stole that?”
Mason grimaced.
“Borrowed.”
“When?”
“When Daniel hugged me.”
Daniel looked offended.
“You picked her pocket?”
“Bad week.”
Adrian almost smiled.
Then he explained.
The envelope wasn't evidence.
It was a key.
Under ultraviolet light, numbers appeared inside the imperfect Iron insignia.
Archive coordinates.
Evelyn had hidden the ledger where only Iron Team could reach it.
Voss stepped forward.
Daniel raised his weapon.
Claire stopped him.
Because something had changed beyond the observation glass.
A light came on.
Nine figures appeared.
Claire's knees nearly failed.
Iron One.
Iron Two.
Iron Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
Men and women she had mourned.
Some she had buried.
All alive.
And beside the empty place where Iron Three should have stood was a young woman.
Rebecca Vale.
Thomas's daughter.
Iron Seven entered first.
Marcus Bell.
Claire stared at him.
“I attended your funeral.”
Marcus smiled.
“I know.”
Claire punched him.
Then hugged him.
Voss began backing toward the door.
Rebecca lifted a small drive.
“My father died protecting people you tried to sacrifice.”
Federal agents entered.
The targeting lasers disappeared.
They had never belonged to Voss.
They belonged to Adrian.
Voss finally realized the truth.
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He hadn't walked into his trap.
He had walked into theirs.
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