Chapter 16 - Evan’s Offer
Evan entered the basement alone.
He carried no visible weapon.
The Black Echo agents aimed at him.
He raised his hands.
“Vale plans to kill everyone once the system activates.”
Jessica stared at the man she had married that morning.
“Did you know he would drug me?”
“No.”
“Did you know he would kill Rachel?”
Evan hesitated.
That was answer enough.
He claimed he could open the control room.
In exchange, he wanted protection from his father and Vale.
Jessica asked:
“Do you want protection, or immunity?”
“Both.”
“You restrained me.”
“I was following orders.”
Jessica shook her head.
“So was everyone in that basement.”
Evan provided an access card.
The lead agent tested it.
Valid.
Rachel listened through the restored audio link.
She instructed the team to use Evan’s information but keep him restrained.
Evan led them toward a service stairwell.
At the top, he stopped.
“If we open this door, Vale activates the first transmitter.”
Jessica remembered the factory layout.
A secondary power conduit ran beneath the assembly floor.
If disabled, Vale’s transmitters would switch to battery backup.
That would give them ninety seconds before full activation.
Jessica volunteered to reach the conduit.
An agent went with her.
As they crawled beneath machinery, Evan spoke quietly to Jessica through the grate.
“I did care about you.”
Jessica kept moving.
“You cared about what loving me gave you.”
“That doesn’t mean all of it was false.”
“No. It means the true part wasn’t enough to stop you.”
She reached the conduit.
On Rachel’s command, she pulled the emergency breaker.
The factory went dark.
Black Echo breached the control room.
May you like
Vale had ninety seconds.
So did they.
