Chapter 11: The Grandson
I nearly dropped the phone.
“My grandson.””
Daniel turned from the cockpit.
“What?””
I showed him the message.
His face changed instantly.
“Where is he?””
“New York.””
“Who has him?””
“I don't know.””
Margaret took the phone.
“When was this sent?””
“Thirty seconds ago.””
Daniel looked at the controls.
“We need to turn around.””
“No,” Margaret said.
Daniel stared at her.
“My nephew is in danger.””
“And if you fly back, they'll capture all of us.””
I stepped between them.
“Who can get to him?””
Daniel looked at me.
“There is one person.””
“Who?””
“His nanny.””
I called Julian's son's emergency contact.
No answer.
I called again.
Still nothing.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A man's voice said, “Eleanor.””
“Who is this?””
“You know.””
Victor Hale.
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“Where is my grandson?””
“Safe.””
“Put him on.””
“No.””
“If you hurt him—”
“I won't.””
His voice was calm.
“Because unlike your son, I don't make emotional decisions.””
“Then what do you want?””
“You.””
Daniel leaned closer.
I put the call on speaker.
Victor continued.
“You have something that belongs to me.””
“I don't have anything of yours.””
“The Meridian Trust.””
I looked at Margaret.
Victor laughed.
“Margaret told you about it.””
“Yes.””
“She didn't tell you everything.””
I felt a familiar chill.
“What didn't she tell me?””
Victor paused.
“Your father didn't create the trust to protect Thorne Meridian.””
Margaret's expression tightened.
“Victor—”
“He created it to hide money.””
Daniel stared at her.
“What?””
Victor continued.
“Billions.””
My heart stopped.
“That's impossible.””
“Your father built Thorne Meridian using money that wasn't his.””
Margaret shook her head.
“That's a lie.””
Victor laughed.
“Ask her about Project Orion.””
Daniel looked at Margaret.
“What is Project Orion?””
She said nothing.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“Margaret?””
She closed her eyes.
“Your father made one mistake.””
“What?””
“He believed he could clean dirty money by turning it into legitimate businesses.””
Daniel whispered, “Oh God.””
Victor said, “Exactly.””
I gripped the phone.
“Where is my grandson?””
“Trade.””
“For what?””
“The trust.””
“You can't access it.””
“I don't need to.””
Victor paused.
“You do.””
Margaret suddenly grabbed my hand.
“Don't agree to anything.””
Victor heard her.
“She still thinks she can protect you.””
Then his voice became colder.
“She couldn't protect your father.””
I froze.
“Tell me what happened to him.””
Victor laughed.
“Ask Richard.””
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Daniel looked at Margaret.
“What is Project Orion?””
Margaret remained silent.
“Answer him.””
She finally spoke.
“Your father had been laundering money.””
I felt as if the floor had disappeared.
“How much?””
“Approximately six hundred million dollars.””
Daniel sat back.
“For whom?””
Margaret looked at me.
“An international criminal network.””
Silence filled the plane.
I thought about my father.
The man who had taught me never to sign a contract without reading every line.
The man who had built our company from nothing.
The man whose portrait hung in the lobby.
A criminal?
I couldn't breathe.
Then my phone received another message.
This time it was a photograph.
My grandson sitting on a bed.
Alive.
His eyes were red from crying.
Beside him stood a woman.
I recognized her.
Celeste.
I looked at Daniel.
“She's with him.””
Margaret stared at the photograph.
“No.””
“What?””
“Celeste wasn't part of Julian's plan.””
“Then what is she doing there?””
Daniel zoomed in on the image.
Behind Celeste was a wall.
On it hung a photograph.
A photograph of my father.
But beneath it was a second photograph.
My mother.
And beside her stood a teenage boy.
Daniel stared at it.
“That picture was taken before I disappeared.””
I looked at him.
“Who took it?””
Daniel's voice trembled.
“My father.””
I studied the image.
Something about the boy's face bothered me.
He looked older than Daniel should have been.
I zoomed in.
Then I saw the date.
*1969.*
Daniel was born in 1970.
I stared at him.
“That's not you.””
He shook his head.
“No.””
Margaret whispered:
“Then who is that boy?””
Daniel's face went white.
The plane suddenly jolted.
The pilot shouted from the front.
“We've got a problem!””
Daniel grabbed the seat.
“What kind?””
“The engines are losing power.””
The lights flickered.
Outside, the runway below disappeared into darkness.
Then the cockpit alarm began screaming.
May you like
Daniel looked at me.
“Someone sabotaged the plane.””
