Chapter 13
We reached Paul before noon.
He was sitting in the south safe house with two Bennett men and one empty chair.
Mine.
That bothered me more than it should have.
He had imagined himself there.
“Colonel.”
“Cousin.”
He looked at my uniform.
“You came straight from the ceremony?”
“Yes.”
“You always did love symbolism.”
“No.”
I looked at the empty chair.
“You do.”
His smile faded.
I placed the photograph of sleeping Emily on the table.
“Pressure phase.”
Paul said nothing.
“You knew Ryan was hurting her.”
“Yes.”
“Did you order it?”
“No.”
“Did you encourage it?”
Silence.
I leaned closer.
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
Simple.
Ugly.
“Why?”
“Because Emily wouldn’t give routes.”
“She was pregnant.”
“That made her valuable.”
Not vulnerable.
Valuable.
I almost pitied how empty that thinking was.
“You wanted my position.”
Paul smiled.
“You’re fifty-eight.”
“And?”
“You never step aside.”
“You could have asked for more responsibility.”
“You don’t give power.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You earn trust.”
He laughed.
“Army language.”
“Human language.”
He looked away.
I continued.
“Vale promised eastern crews.”
“Yes.”
“And after I died?”
“I stabilized Bennett operations.”
“Under Vale.”
“Temporarily.”
There it was.
The word every fool in this story loved.
Temporary.
I almost smiled.
“Marcus was temporary too.”
Paul’s face changed.
“Linda.”
Another flicker.
“Ryan.”
He said nothing.
“Why would you be different?”
That landed.
Paul looked at the empty chair.
For the first time, it appeared less like a throne and more like bait.
Then one of his men spoke.
“He has another plan.”
Paul turned sharply.
I looked at the guard.
“What?”
“If the convoy failed, Paul was supposed to take Emily’s baby after delivery.”
My blood went cold.
Paul stood.
My men stopped him.
The guard continued:
“Vale said a Bennett granddaughter raised outside James’s control could split loyalties later.”
I stared at my cousin.
The plan stretched beyond my death.
Beyond Emily.
May you like
Into a child not yet born.
And every person involved believed children were simply future leverage waiting to grow.
