Chapter 12 - The Archive Carter Never Reached
Carter fled toward the underground archive entrance.
Of course he did.
Even with everything collapsing, he still believed the vault could save him.
Grant followed with Dominic and two security men.
Voss had already contacted federal investigators because the kidnapped Mercer family and the poisoning conspiracy made the situation impossible to contain internally.
Grant hated bringing law enforcement into Blackwood affairs.
Tonight, he hated Carter more.
They found him beneath the mansion.
The archive entrance looked unimpressive.
Steel door.
Keypad.
Biometric plate.
Carter stood before it entering codes with shaking fingers.
ACCESS DENIED.
Again.
ACCESS DENIED.
“Jonathan changed the contingency sequence,” Voss called from behind Grant.
Carter turned.
“You.”
Voss adjusted his coat.
“Your mistake was assuming Grant’s father trusted you completely.”
Carter raised his gun.
Dominic raised his own.
Grant stepped forward despite the pain.
“Put it down.”
“You think this ends with me?” Carter spat. “Half the people in that archive will kill you just to know what’s inside.”
“Maybe.”
“They financed me.”
“I know.”
“They’ll come.”
“Probably.”
Carter laughed wildly.
“And you still think you won?”
Grant looked at the sealed vault.
Then back at Carter.
“No.”
That answer surprised everyone.
“I think my father created a problem and left it for another generation.”
Grant took another step.
“My job is to end it.”
Carter frowned.
“What?”
Grant looked at Voss.
“Once this is over, the archive goes to independent counsel. Anything evidencing serious crimes goes to the appropriate authorities. The rest gets sealed or destroyed according to law.”
Carter stared at him as if he had announced he was burning billions.
“You’d throw away that kind of leverage?”
“Yes.”
“You’re insane.”
“No.”
Grant’s voice stayed calm.
“I’m tired.”
Carter raised the gun higher.
That was his last mistake.
Dominic fired once.
Not at Carter.
At the overhead pipe.
Steam exploded across Carter’s line of sight.
He flinched.
Grant moved.
Carter’s wrist struck the wall.
The gun fell.
Dominic and the federal officers arriving from the stairwell took him down seconds later.
Carter hit the concrete screaming about everything Grant was destroying.
Grant stood over him, breathing hard.
“You were right about one thing.”
Carter looked up.
“What?”
“My father did build an empire on secrets.”
May you like
Grant turned toward the archive door.
“I’m not going to.”
