Chapter 8 - The Exchange
Cole chose Union Station.
Crowded.
Public.
Controlled chaos.
Elena carried a duplicate drive.
Alejandro watched from a balcony.
Samuel monitored communications.
Sofia covered the exits.
Marcus coordinated federal agents.
Everything looked perfect.
Which made Alejandro nervous.
Cole appeared at 8:04 p.m.
No Daniel.
Elena approached.
“Where is he?”
“Safe.”
“Show me.”
Cole displayed a live video.
Daniel was inside a van.
Alive.
Elena held up the drive.
“Release him.”
Cole smiled.
“Your mother would be impressed.”
“You didn't know my mother.”
“Oh, I knew Maria very well.”
Elena froze.
Cole leaned closer.
“She worked for me.”
Alejandro heard everything through her earpiece.
His heart stopped.
Cole continued.
“Until she developed a conscience.”
Elena kept her expression controlled.
“You're lying.”
“Ask Samuel.”
Across the station, Samuel closed his eyes.
Alejandro turned toward him.
“You knew?”
Samuel whispered:
“Yes.”
Maria had helped create Atlas.
Not merely investigate it.
The revelation almost shattered Alejandro.
But Elena stayed focused.
“Daniel first.”
Cole signaled.
The van door opened.
Daniel stumbled out.
Then everything went wrong.
A gunshot.
Crowds screamed.
Cole collapsed.
Sofia shouted:
“Shooter!”
Daniel grabbed Elena and pulled her behind a pillar.
Alejandro raced downstairs.
A second shot struck near them.
Samuel identified the shooter.
Barrett.
He had escaped federal custody.
Barrett wasn't working for Cole anymore.
He was cleaning up Atlas independently.
Cole was still alive.
Barely.
Alejandro reached him.
Cole grabbed his sleeve.
“Samuel…”
“What?”
Cole coughed blood.
“He's lying.”
Alejandro looked toward his brother.
Samuel was gone.
So was Maria's real drive.
Alejandro understood.
The entire exchange had been a diversion.
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Samuel hadn't come back to destroy Atlas.
He had come back to reclaim it.
