Chapter 15 - ELLIOT BEAT GREGORY VALE’S TRAP WITHOUT ENTERING THE BUILDINGRobert understood first.
“Kill building power.”
Warren ran toward the emergency panel.
A security technician on police comms warned:
“If you cut main power, backup locks may engage.”
Elliot’s voice came through:
“Not the main.”
Warren stopped.
“What?”
“The silver switch.”
Robert looked around.
“There are twenty switches.”
Elliot continued:
“Mom said snowflakes hate summer.”
Warren almost laughed from stress.
“What does that mean?”
Robert suddenly ran toward the climate-control panel.
“Research cooling.”
The pediatric-genomics servers required independent cooling.
A silver emergency disconnect controlled only the secure research wing.
If shut down, fire-safety protocols automatically released interior doors to prevent personnel being trapped.
Robert pulled it.
Alarms screamed.
The doors unlocked.
Police teams moved.
Irene was found first.
Shaken.
Alive.
Monique’s room was empty.
Vale had moved her.
Warren heard running above.
He chased toward the stairwell.
Vale dragged Monique toward the roof access.
She was bleeding from her lip but conscious.
“Stop!”
Vale turned the gun toward Warren.
Monique froze.
Warren stopped.
“Let her go.”
Vale laughed.
“After everything she did to your son, you still want to save her?”
“Yes.”
Monique looked at him.
Surprised.
Warren didn’t look away from Vale.
“Because what she deserves gets decided in court.”
Vale smiled.
“Henry would be disappointed.”
“My father is dead.”
“Because he finally grew a conscience.”
Warren’s pulse jumped.
“You said you didn’t kill him.”
“I didn’t.”
“Who did?”
Vale’s eyes shifted.
Monique whispered:
“Elaine.”
Vale’s smile disappeared.
Warren stared.
Monique continued.
“She altered his medication.”
Vale tightened his grip.
“Shut up.”
“You said everyone built this.”
Monique looked at Warren.
“Elaine finished Henry.”
Warren felt rage explode.
Vale aimed at Monique.
Warren moved.
The gun fired.
Monique screamed.
The bullet struck the metal door frame beside her.
Police rushed from below.
Vale ran onto the roof.
Warren followed despite shouted orders.
Wind tore across the building.
Vale reached the edge.
No helicopter.
No escape.
He had nowhere left.
He turned.
Gun raised.
Warren stopped.
“Done?”
Vale laughed.
“You think arresting me ends anything?”
“No.”
“You think Elaine is the top?”
Warren’s blood chilled.
Vale saw it.
“Exactly.”
“Who?”
Vale smiled.
“You still don’t understand Meridian.”
“Tell me.”
“It isn’t one person.”
Federal agents appeared behind Warren.
Vale looked toward them.
Then back.
“A consortium.”
“Of who?”
“People who bought data before regulators ever learned what data was worth.”
Warren felt sick.
Patient genetics.
Children.
Medical histories.
Sold quietly.
Vale continued.
“Elaine coordinated Landon. Pike handled medical access. I handled legal structures.”
“And Monique?”
“A tool.”
Monique heard from the doorway.
Her face tightened.
Vale shrugged.
“She wanted money. Then she wanted Warren. Then she got sentimental.”
Monique looked away.
Warren said:
“Drop the gun.”
Vale laughed.
“You sound like you won.”
Then he looked toward Warren’s jacket.
“You don’t have the real snowflake.”
“No.”
“Where is it?”
“Somewhere you’ll never reach.”
Vale’s smile vanished.
Elliot.
Federal agents ordered him down.
For one second, Warren thought Vale might jump.
Instead, he dropped the gun.
Handcuffs closed around his wrists.
As agents led him away, Vale leaned near Warren.
“Ask Robert who funded Amelia’s clinical trial.”
Warren went still.
Vale smiled.
“You’re still missing one betrayal.”
Then he was gone.
Warren slowly turned.
Robert stood behind him.
Pale.
“What did he mean?”
Robert’s face collapsed.
Warren knew before the answer came.
“You funded it.”
Robert whispered:
“Yes.”
Warren stared.
“The trial Pike used.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I thought I was saving her.”
Warren stepped toward him.
“Tell me everything.”
Robert closed his eyes.
“Amelia’s cancer treatment was expensive and experimental. Meridian offered to sponsor access to a trial Pike was running.”
“Did Amelia know?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“She hated Meridian.”
“So you hid it.”
“Yes.”
“And Pike got direct access to her treatment.”
Robert’s voice broke.
“Yes.”
Warren’s stomach twisted.
Robert had not intended harm.
But once again, secrecy created the opening.
Then a federal agent approached.
“Mr. Carter?”
Warren turned.
“We found the real reason Vale came tonight.”
“What?”
The genomics servers had been wiping themselves remotely.
Someone outside the building triggered it the moment Vale was arrested.
Not Vale.
Not Monique.
Not Pike.
Elaine.
Or someone above her.
If the servers completed deletion, evidence of years of illegal data transfers would disappear.
“How long?”
“Fourteen minutes.”
Robert looked toward Warren.
“The snowflake can stop it.”
Warren froze.
“Elliot.”
He grabbed the phone.
His son answered.
“Dad?”
“Buddy, I need your help.”
This time Warren hated asking.
But Elliot said:
“I know.”
“How?”
“Mom told me.”
Warren closed his eyes.
Of course.
“What do we do?”
Elliot whispered:
“You have to bring the snowflake home.”
Warren frowned.
“Home?”
“Not our house.”
“Then where?”
“The red house.”
June’s house.
Three states away.
Impossible in fourteen minutes.
Then Elliot said:
“There’s another one.”
Warren stopped.
“Another what?”
“Red house.”
“Where?”
Elliot smiled faintly through the phone.
“The little one in Mom’s office.”
Warren understood.
A model house.
Amelia kept one on a shelf at Landon headquarters.
He had seen it years ago.
May you like
And if it was still there—
the final key had been inside the building all along.
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