CHAPTER 9 — THE FIRE AT PIER 44
CHAPTER 9 — THE FIRE AT PIER 44
Pier 44 had been rebuilt three times.
The city called it redevelopment.
My family called it a grave.
Six years ago, the warehouse at the end of the pier had burned until dawn.
Officially, my brother Ewan had died inside.
Officially, my father had died twelve months later.
Officially, the fire had been an accident caused by faulty wiring.
There were three official stories.
None of them were true.
At 8:16 that morning, I stood inside the abandoned St. Agnes facility with Celeste and Marcus while armed men surrounded the building.
My brother had just told me not to trust my father.
And then he had disappeared from the phone.
Marcus looked at me.
"We have two choices."
"What are they?"
"Fight our way out."
"And the second?"
"Let them take us."
Celeste shook her head.
"Neither."
I looked at her.
"What do you suggest?"
She pointed toward the basement.
"There's another exit."
Marcus frowned.
"How do you know?"
"My father brought me here once."
I stared at her.
"Why?"
"To show me where people went when they stopped being useful."
The sentence was delivered without emotion.
That frightened me more than anything else.
We moved.
The basement passage was narrow and dark.
Marcus went first.
Celeste behind him.
I followed.
Halfway through, we heard footsteps above.
Then a voice.
"Mr. Moretti."
I stopped.
A second voice answered.
"He's not here."
I knew the first voice.
Victor Hale.
My lawyer.
My father's lawyer.
The man who had lied to me.
The man who had helped construct the contract.
I looked at Celeste.
She mouthed:
"Keep moving."
We reached the exit.
A steel hatch opened onto an alley.
Three blocks away, one of our vehicles waited.
We made it to the car.
Marcus drove.
I called my father.
No answer.
I called Ewan.
Nothing.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message.
One sentence.
COME ALONE TO PIER 44.
I stared at it.
Celeste saw the screen.
"No."
"I'm going."
"Elias—"
"He's my brother."
"I know."
"Then you understand."
She shook her head.
"No. I understand exactly why they want you there."
I looked at her.
"Then come with me."
She froze.
"What?"
"I don't trust you."
"I know."
"But I trust that Thomas wants you alive."
She looked away.
"And if he sees us together?"
"Then he'll think the plan is working."
She understood.
"You want him to believe the wedding is still under his control."
"Exactly."
Marcus interrupted.
"You're both missing something."
"What?"
He pointed toward the road.
"We have company."
Three black SUVs appeared behind us.
I looked at the clock.
8:42.
Pier 44 was twelve minutes away.
The past was waiting.
So were the men who had tried to bury it.
The pier appeared through the snow.
The warehouse at the end was still standing.
I had expected ruins.
Instead, the building looked almost untouched.
Fresh locks.
New cameras.
New security lights.
Someone had been using it.
Marcus stopped the vehicle.
"We stay in the car."
"No."
"Elias."
"I've waited six years."
I opened the door.
Celeste followed.
Marcus swore under his breath.
We entered together.
The warehouse was dark.
Then the lights came on.
One by one.
A man stood at the far end.
Gray coat.
Silver hair.
Straight posture.
My heart stopped.
My father.
Adrian Moretti.
Alive.
He looked older.
Thinner.
But unmistakably him.
I had seen him every day of my childhood.
The shape of his face.
The way he stood.
The slight tilt of his head.
It was him.
I took one step forward.
"Dad."
He didn't move.
"I told you not to come."
I laughed bitterly.
"You told me that six years ago."
His expression changed.
"You shouldn't have found Ewan."
"He's my brother."
"That's why."
"Where is he?"
Adrian looked toward the shadows.
"He's here."
A voice came from behind me.
"Not anymore."
I turned.
Ewan stepped into the light.
Alive.
Older.
A scar ran along his jaw.
His left shoulder was stiff.
But he was standing.
I couldn't move.
He smiled.
"Hello, little brother."
I crossed the room.
We embraced.
For six years I had imagined this moment.
In every version, I cried.
I didn't.
I simply held him.
Hard.
As if letting go might make him disappear.
He whispered:
"I'm sorry."
I shook my head.
"Don't."
"I should have found you."
"You couldn't."
"I should have known."
"You weren't supposed to."
I stepped back.
"Who did this to you?"
Ewan looked at Adrian.
Then at me.
"Everyone."
My father looked away.
I turned to him.
"Start talking."
Adrian didn't answer.
Ewan did.
"The fire wasn't meant to kill me."
I frowned.
"What?"
"It was meant to destroy the ledger."
"The original ledger?"
"Yes."
"Then why fake my death?"
"Because I found out who ordered it."
"Thomas."
Ewan shook his head.
"No."
I froze.
"Then who?"
He looked at our father.
"Adrian."
My chest tightened.
"You're saying Dad started the fire?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"He ordered the evacuation."
I stared at him.
"Then why did you say not to trust him?"
"Because he knew the fire was coming."
Adrian spoke quietly.
"I knew Thomas planned it."
"Then why didn't you stop him?"
"I tried."
Ewan stepped closer.
"You failed."
Adrian accepted the accusation.
"I did."
I looked between them.
"Why?"
Ewan answered.
"Because Dad had a choice."
"What choice?"
"Save Mom."
"Or save us."
I stared at him.
"What?"
"Thomas had people inside the house."
Ewan continued.
"They had Mom."
Adrian closed his eyes.
"I was forced to choose."
"And you chose Mom?"
"Yes."
My anger rose.
"You left us."
"I went back."
"After the fire."
"I went back."
Ewan interrupted.
"That's when he found me."
I looked at him.
"What happened?"
Ewan took a breath.
"I was trapped."
"Where?"
"Under the warehouse."
"The basement?"
"Yes."
"How did you survive?"
He looked at Adrian.
"He found me."
My father nodded.
"I pulled him out."
I stared at my father.
"Then why didn't you bring him home?"
Adrian's face hardened.
"Because Thomas was waiting."
Ewan continued.
"If Dad brought me home, Thomas would know I survived."
"So you stayed hidden."
"For six years."
I couldn't speak.
Then I noticed something.
"Where is Thomas?"
Ewan looked toward the far side of the warehouse.
"He's here."
Every light went out.
A door slammed.
Then came applause.
Slow.
Deliberate.
A man stepped from the shadows.
Thomas.
My uncle.
The man who had supposedly died twenty years ago.
He smiled.
"Family reunions are so much more satisfying when everyone is alive."
Marcus raised his weapon.
Thomas laughed.
"Don't."
Red laser sights appeared on the walls.
Dozens.
We were surrounded.
Thomas walked closer.
He looked exactly like the man in the photograph.
Older.
But not weak.
"Hello, Elias."
I stared at him.
"You killed people."
"Yes."
"You destroyed my family."
"No."
He smiled.
"Your family destroyed itself."
Ewan stepped forward.
"You started the fire."
Thomas looked at him.
"Of course."
I felt my stomach turn.
"You admit it?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"You killed my brother."
Thomas laughed.
"I gave him a chance to become useful."
Ewan's expression hardened.
"You kept me prisoner."
"I kept you alive."
"To use me."
"To teach you."
I looked at Thomas.
"Teach him what?"
Thomas smiled.
"How your family really works."
He walked toward me.
"Your father wanted to preserve the empire."
"Your mother wanted to destroy it."
"Ewan wanted revenge."
"And you..."
He stopped in front of me.
"...wanted to be loved."
I said nothing.
Thomas smiled.
"That's why you're the easiest one."
I felt anger rise.
"You don't know me."
"I know you better than your father does."
He turned toward Adrian.
"Don't I?"
Adrian stared at him.
Thomas continued.
"Your father spent your entire childhood trying to make you into himself."
"He failed."
"Your mother tried to make you compassionate."
"She succeeded."
"And Ewan tried to make you brave."
He looked at me.
"But none of them understood your weakness."
"What weakness?"
Thomas smiled.
"You can't abandon people."
I realized what he meant.
He pointed toward Celeste.
"That's why you brought her."
She froze.
Thomas laughed.
"She betrayed you."
Celeste's face went pale.
"That's not true."
Thomas looked at her.
"Tell him."
She said nothing.
"Tell him what you did at Pier 44."
I turned toward her.
"What did you do?"
She shook her head.
"I didn't start the fire."
"I didn't ask that."
She closed her eyes.
"I gave them the access code."
The warehouse went silent.
I stared at her.
"What?"
"Your father had changed the security system."
"Celeste..."
"I gave Thomas the code."
"Why?"
"Because he had my brother."
I stared at her.
"Your brother?"
"My younger brother."
She began crying.
"I thought he would let him go."
Thomas smiled.
"He didn't."
Celeste looked at him with hatred.
"You promised."
Thomas shrugged.
"Promises are for people who believe in them."
I looked at her.
"You helped him."
"I know."
"People died."
"I know."
"You almost killed Ewan."
"I know."
Her voice broke.
"I have hated myself every day since."
I looked away.
Thomas clapped once.
"Beautiful."
He smiled.
"Now we're finally being honest."
Ewan stepped toward him.
"You forgot something."
Thomas raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"The recording."
Thomas's smile disappeared.
Ewan reached into his coat.
He held up a small device.
"The original conversation."
Thomas stared at it.
"Where did you get that?"
"From you."
Thomas's face changed.
"You don't have it."
Ewan smiled.
"I do."
Thomas raised his hand.
His men aimed their weapons.
I stepped forward.
"Don't."
Thomas looked at me.
"Give me the recording."
"No."
"Elias."
"You wanted the ledger."
Thomas nodded.
"You wanted the contract."
Another nod.
"You wanted the wedding."
"Yes."
I smiled.
"Then you get none of them."
Thomas stared at me.
"You're not in a position to negotiate."
I looked toward the ceiling.
Then toward the walls.
"Are you sure?"
Thomas frowned.
Ewan smiled.
I understood.
Marcus had been working the entire time.
The security lights suddenly came on.
Police sirens echoed outside.
Thomas looked toward the doors.
"What did you do?"
I held up my phone.
"The entire conversation has been streaming."
Thomas's face went cold.
"You wouldn't."
"I already did."
He stared at me.
Then laughed.
"You think the police will save you?"
"No."
I looked at my father.
"My father will."
Adrian stepped forward.
For the first time, Thomas looked uncertain.
Adrian spoke.
"It's over."
Thomas shook his head.
"No."
He reached inside his coat.
Marcus shouted.
"Gun!"
Everything happened at once.
A shot.
Glass shattered.
Celeste screamed.
Ewan pushed me down.
Marcus fired.
Thomas disappeared behind the machinery.
When I looked up, Ewan was bleeding.
"You're hit."
He shook his head.
"Not badly."
My father moved toward Thomas.
I grabbed his arm.
"Dad."
He stopped.
I looked at him.
"You knew."
"Yes."
"You knew everything."
"Yes."
"And you still hid it."
He looked at me.
"I was trying to keep you alive."
I shook my head.
"You kept me blind."
He had no answer.
Police entered the warehouse.
Thomas was gone.
But he had left something behind.
A black folder.
I picked it up.
Inside was the original ledger.
Names.
Payments.
Dates.
Every secret my family had buried.
And on the final page was a list of people Thomas had paid.
At the bottom was a name I never expected.
CELESTE VANDERMARK.
Beside it was a date.
Three weeks before she met me.
And an amount.
$30,000,000.
I looked at Celeste.
She stared at the page.
Then whispered:
"I never received it."
I believed her.
But the question remained.
Who had received the thirty million?
Then I saw another name.
The recipient.
My father's attorney.
Victor Hale.
I looked toward the warehouse doors.
Victor was standing there.
He had walked in with the police.
He saw the ledger in my hands.
And smiled.
Not fearfully.
Not nervously.
Almost gratefully.
Then he said:
"Now you finally understand."
He turned toward me.
"Thomas was never the mastermind."
My blood ran cold.
Victor's smile widened.
May you like
"He was only the man you could see."
END OF CHAPTER 9
