Chapter 131 Threats and Lies
Chapter 131 Threats and Lies
Sophia's heart hammered. “If you touch Victoria—”
“Then don't give me a reason.” The line went dead.
She stood in the dark nursery, shaking, Victoria's soft breathing the only thing keeping her grounded.
Marcus appeared in the doorway. “Sophia? What happened?”
She turned to him, eyes blazing. “They have Elena. Rafael's people. They want the USB in twenty-four hours or they kill her.”
Marcus's face went pale. “How did they know about Elena?”
“Someone talked. Someone close to us.”
They looked at each other. The same thought, unspoken.
Claire.
\---
The Compound — 3:15 AM
Claire sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone. The call had come ten minutes ago. David.
“You think you can hide from me? You think Sophia can protect you? I know where you are, Claire. I know everything. And if you don't come home in twenty-four hours, I'll tell Rafael exactly where to find Victoria.”
She hadn't told Sophia. She couldn't. Because if Sophia knew that Claire's husband was the leak, that Claire was the reason Rafael knew about Elena—
A knock on the door.
“Claire.” Sophia's voice, cold and hard. “Open the door.”
Claire's stomach dropped. She opened it.
Sophia stood in the hallway, Marcus behind her. Her eyes were red, but her voice was steady.
“Did you tell David about Elena?”
Claire's breath caught. “I—no. I didn't. I swear.”
“Then how does Rafael know her name? How does he know she met with you?”
Claire's hands shook. “I don't know. Maybe he was watching the diner. Maybe he's been following me.”
Marcus stepped forward. “We checked the diner for cameras. There were none. The only people who knew about that meeting were you, Sophia, me, and Elena.”
Claire's eyes filled with tears. “I didn't betray you. I would never—”
“You already did.” Sophia's voice cracked. “You brought a journalist into this without telling me. You risked everything. And now Elena is going to die because of it.”
Claire sobbed. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.”
“Sorry doesn't bring her back.” Sophia turned to Marcus. “We need to move. Now. If Rafael knows about Elena, he knows about this place.”
Marcus nodded. “I'll wake Kat. We leave in ten.”
As Marcus disappeared down the hall, Sophia looked back at Claire.
“You're my best friend,” she said quietly. “But if anything happens to my daughter because of you, I will never forgive you.”
Claire nodded, tears streaming down her face. “I understand.”
\---
Federal Detention Center — 6:00 AM
Alexander sat in his cell, the weight of twenty-four hours pressing down on him.
Senator Cross's offer. The FBI's deal. Sophia hiding in the woods. Victoria growing up without him.
He had to choose.
The guard appeared. “You have a visitor.”
Alexander stood, expecting Cross or his lawyer.
It was Helena.
She sat in the interview room, looking older than he remembered. Tired. Worn. But her eyes were still sharp.
“Brother,” she said.
“Sister.” Alexander sat across from her. “What do you want?”
“To save you.” Helena leaned forward. “Cross is playing you. He doesn't want to help you. He wants to use you to get to Tanaka. And once he has what he wants, he'll throw you back in here and lose the key.”
Alexander's jaw tightened. “And the FBI?”
“The FBI wants Rafael. They don't care about you. If you wear that wire and something goes wrong, they'll deny everything. You'll be dead, and they'll call you a hero at your funeral.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?”
Helena reached into her coat and pulled out a small envelope. She slid it across the table.
“Inside is a name. Someone who can get you out of here without the FBI and without Cross. But it comes with a price.”
Alexander didn't touch the envelope. “What price?”
“When you're free, you help me destroy Cross. Permanently.”
Alexander stared at his sister. “You want me to kill a United States Senator.”
“I want you to protect your family.” Helena's voice was cold. “Cross is a cancer. He's been feeding on this city for twenty years. He's the reason Rafael is still alive. The reason Victor is still in hiding. The reason you're sitting in this cell.”
She pushed the envelope closer.
“Open it.”
Alexander picked it up. Inside was a single business card.
General Marcus Kane. Retired. Private Security.
“General Kane owes me a favor,” Helena said. “A big one. He can have you out of here by midnight. No paperwork. No deals. No strings.”
“Except you.”
“Except me.” Helena stood. “You have until noon to decide.”
The Compound — 7:00 AM
The evacuation was chaos.
Kat's men loaded supplies into three SUVs while Sophia strapped Victoria into her car seat. Claire stood off to the side, silent, watching.
Marcus approached Sophia. “We have a problem.”
“What now?”
“Dimitri is gone.”
Sophia froze. “What do you mean, gone?”
“His cuffs are on the floor. The window in the basement is open. He slipped out sometime in the last hour.”
Sophia's mind raced. “He's going to Rafael. He's going to tell him where we are.”
“Already ahead of you.” Kat appeared, holding a tablet. “I put a tracker in his jacket when he wasn't looking. He's heading east. Toward the city.”
Sophia grabbed the tablet. “Can we intercept him?”
“We can try.” Kat pulled out her phone. “But if he reaches Rafael before we stop him, this location is compromised. We need to move. Now.”
Sophia looked at Victoria, then at Claire, then at Marcus.
“Everyone in the cars. We leave in two minutes.”
\---
The Diner — 8:30 AM
David Chen sat in the same booth where Claire had met Elena. Across from him sat a man in a dark suit—Rafael's fixer, Miguel Santos.
“Claire is with Sophia,” David said. “They're hiding somewhere upstate. I don't have the exact location yet.”
Miguel nodded. “Rafael is growing impatient. He wants the USB. He wants Sophia. And he wants the child.”
David swallowed. “I'm working on it.”
“Work faster.” Miguel slid a photograph across the table. “This is Marcus Kane. Retired General. He's been hired to break Alexander out of prison tonight. If he succeeds, Alexander will come for Rafael. And for you.”
David stared at the photograph. “What do you want me to do?”
“Find out where the extraction is happening. Then call me.” Miguel stood. “And David? If you fail, Rafael will kill you. But he'll make sure Claire dies first. Slowly.”