Dana refused to let Grant join the tactical team.

Grant argued for exactly thirty seconds.

Then Dana threatened to handcuff him to a desk.

He stopped.

I almost enjoyed that.

Agents entered Warehouse Twelve shortly after midnight.

Grant, Miles, Rachel, and I watched the operation through a secure video feed.

The warehouse appeared empty.

No Vale.

No guards.

No Owen.

Only a chair beneath a hanging light.

On the chair sat the duplicate flash drive.

Beside it was a phone.

Dana's team secured the building.

Then the phone rang.

Grant stared at the screen.

“It's for me.”

Dana answered on speaker.

Conrad Vale's voice filled the room.

Smooth.

Calm.

Older.

“Evan.”

Grant's face hardened.

“Where is Owen?”

Vale laughed softly.

“Still concerned about the man who sold your family to me.”

“Where is he?”

“Alive.”

A faint sound came through the line.

Someone groaning.

Grant closed his eyes.

Vale continued.

“The drive you sent was disappointing.”

“You'll never get the real one.”

“Of course I will.”

“No.”

“You forget that I've known you longer than your wife has.”

My skin crawled.

Vale continued.

“You collect insurance.”

Grant looked toward me.

“You hide contingencies inside contingencies.”

A pause.

“And you never trust one copy.”

Grant said nothing.

Vale laughed again.

“So the real evidence is somewhere Laura can reach.”

Every person in the room went still.

I felt Miles reach for my hand.

Vale continued.

“Perhaps she already has it.”

Grant's eyes met mine.

Fear.

“Conrad.”

His voice changed.

“Leave them out of this.”

“I tried.”

Vale sounded almost disappointed.

“But then your son recognized you on an airplane.”

Grant stiffened.

That sentence revealed something important.

“You knew we were on the flight.”

“Of course.”

“Why was I booked on the same plane?”

Vale laughed.

“You're finally asking the right question.”

Grant's face changed.

I understood a second later.

The meeting had not been coincidence.

Vale had arranged it.

He had placed Grant where Miles could see him.

“Why?”

I whispered.

Vale heard me.

“Hello, Laura.”

My stomach turned.

Grant stepped closer to the speaker.

“Don't talk to her.”

Vale ignored him.

“I needed Evan distracted.”

Dana began writing instructions to her technical team.

Trace the call.

Vale continued.

“He's spent three years pretending to work for me while stealing pieces of my organization.”

His voice became colder.

“I wanted him emotional.”

Grant clenched his fists.

“I wanted him reckless.”

Vale paused.

“And nothing makes a man reckless like family.”

The line disconnected.

Dana turned to a technician.

“Location?”

The technician shook his head.

“Too fast.”

Grant stared at the dead phone.

Then Miles spoke.

“Dad?”

Grant turned.

Miles looked frightened.

“If he wanted you distracted, what was he doing while you were watching us?”

Grant's eyes widened.

He ran toward the laptop.

Dana followed.

“What?”

Grant opened the evidence directory.

His face drained.

“The offshore accounts.”

“What about them?”

“He's moving everything.”

Grant typed rapidly.

“He used me to keep the FBI focused here while he dismantled the network.”

Dana swore under her breath.

“How long?”

Grant looked at the transfer records.

“Six hours.”

“Destination?”

Grant went completely still.

Then he said one word.

“Canada.”