Chapter 6 - The Flower Girl's Leverage
The rain lashed against the reinforced glass of the safe house on Pier 42, creating a dull, continuous roar that swallowed the sounds of the industrial district. Lily sat cross-legged on a metal folding chair, swinging her patent-leather shoes back and forth while she unwrapped a second chocolate bar. Across the room, Julian was locked to a wall-mounted iron ring, his black tuxedo jacket discarded to reveal a sweat-stained white dress shirt.
Director Vance stood over him, holding the slip of paper Elena had recovered from the wedding dress. Her eyes were fixed on Julian with a predatory gleam.
"Clever, Julian," Director Vance said, holding the note up like a piece of evidence. "You used the child as a courier. You knew my tactical team would search you, search the bride, and search the venue, but nobody ever frisks a six-year-old flower girl carrying a basket of rose petals."
Julian spat a drop of blood onto the concrete floor, his lip split from where Miller had worked him over during the transit. "You always underestimated the margins, Aunt Clara. You thought you could control the entire syndicate from a desk in Washington while Viktor did the dirty work."
"Viktor was a liability," Clara replied coldly. "Just like you."
"Is that why you killed him?" Julian asked, his voice dripping with venom.
Before Clara could answer, Lily hopped off the chair, the crinkling of the candy wrapper echoing sharply in the quiet room. She walked right up to Clara, holding out a single square of chocolate. Clara ignored her, but Lily didn't back down.
"You're missing something, Director Vance," Lily said, her childish voice carrying an eerie, adult composure.
Clara looked down at the girl, her expression darkening. "This doesn't concern you, asset. Go sit in the corner."
"It concerns me very much," Lily said, pulling a small, black-market decryption drive out from the deep pocket of her gray formal dress. She tossed it onto the metal table next to the schematics. "Because Julian didn't sew the bearer bonds into my dress. He sewed them into the lining of my teddy bear. Which Elena is currently bringing through the front gate."
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Clara’s head snapped toward the heavy container door just as three rapid gunshots shattered the lock outside.
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