Chapter 12 - The Rooftop Promise.
The maintenance platform swung violently beneath the broken window.
Rory screamed as the cables groaned.
Gabriel wrapped one arm around her and the other around Lena.
Mateo found a ladder bolted to the wall.
"Down."
They descended to the third-floor balcony seconds before part of the fourth floor collapsed.
Fire crews and police vehicles surrounded the building below.
Captain Ellis stood among them.
Gabriel did not know whether the officer had come to rescue them or bury evidence.
Then Mateo received a message from his technician.
The transmitter had captured Arthur's confession in the lobby.
Copies had already been uploaded to three independent servers.
Arthur could no longer erase the entire story with one fire.
Gabriel looked toward the roof.
"He knows."
A shadow moved above.
Arthur was heading toward the adjacent parking structure where a helicopter waited.
Mateo told Gabriel to stay with Lena and Rory.
Gabriel shook his head.
"If he gets away, he comes back."
Lena grabbed Gabriel's arm.
"Then don't go alone."
Rory reached into her pocket.
She pulled out the purple marker she used for her stars.
"Take this."
Gabriel stared at it.
"Why?"
"So you remember what this is about."
He took the marker.
Mateo and Gabriel crossed the roof access bridge toward the parking structure.
Arthur waited beside the helicopter.
A pistol hung loosely in his hand.
"You brought witnesses into family business."
Gabriel stopped ten yards away.
"Rory is family."
Arthur's mouth twisted.
"She's an accident."
Gabriel felt the purple marker in his pocket.
"She's my daughter."
"Which makes her useful."
"No."
Gabriel stepped closer.
"It makes her the reason you lose everything."
Arthur raised the gun.
Mateo raised his own.
For several seconds no one moved.
Then Captain Ellis appeared behind them with two officers.
"Weapons down."
Arthur smiled.
Gabriel expected Ellis to aim at him.
Instead the captain aimed at Arthur.
"I made my mistake when I helped Daniel bury the old case."
Arthur's smile disappeared.
Ellis continued.
"I'm not making another one for you."
Arthur fired first.
The shot hit Ellis in the leg.
Mateo returned fire.
Arthur ran toward the helicopter.
Gabriel tackled him before he reached the door.
The brothers crashed onto the concrete.
Arthur struck Gabriel twice.
Gabriel hit back.
Years of grief turned into seconds of violence.
Arthur reached for the fallen pistol.
Gabriel reached it first.
He pointed the weapon at his brother.
Arthur smiled through blood.
"Do it."
Gabriel's hand trembled.
"Prove we're the same."
Gabriel heard Rory's voice in his memory.
Loving someone doesn't make what they do okay.
He lowered the gun.
"We're not."
Police officers surrounded Arthur.
For the first time in ten years, Arthur Voss was placed in handcuffs while still alive.
Then Mateo's phone rang.
He listened for several seconds.
His expression darkened.
"Sterling escaped the ambulance."
Gabriel stared across the rooftop.
May you like
Arthur laughed from the ground.
"You caught the wrong monster first."
