Chapter 11 - The Second Injection.
Fear did not make Adrian less dangerous.
It made him faster.
He lunged toward Maya.
Serena intercepted him before Luca could move.
Adrian struck her aside with one arm.
Elena raised the pistol but did not fire because Maya was too close.
Luca dragged himself toward the fallen wheelchair visible through the chapel side passage.
His legs would not support another attempt yet.
Adrian grabbed Serena’s phone.
Maya held on with both hands.
“Let go.”
She screamed.
“No!”
Luca shouted her name.
Adrian ripped the phone free.
The recording stopped.
Then he hurled the device against the stone wall.
The screen shattered.
Serena dropped beside it.
“You idiot.”
Adrian turned toward her.
“The cloud copy is off.”
Serena laughed breathlessly.
“No.”
She looked at Luca.
“I changed it this morning.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
Serena had activated automatic backup after Maya’s accusation.
Every recorded minute had been uploaded to an account Adrian did not control.
Luca realized Serena had started preparing to betray Adrian before the confrontation in the study.
That did not absolve her.
But it changed the board.
Police voices grew louder outside the chapel.
Adrian touched his earpiece.
No response.
The Galen contractors were leaving him.
Luca reached the wheelchair and pulled himself into it using the armrests.
His body shook from effort.
He felt exhausted and more alive than he had in months.
Adrian looked toward the chapel windows.
Then he smiled again.
“You’re still thinking too small.”
He reached inside his coat.
Elena shouted.
But instead of another weapon, Adrian pulled out a medical auto-injector.
Luca recognized the Moretti Biotech logo.
NVX-17.
Adrian looked at the syringe.
“Your blood already contains the compound.”
He stared at Luca.
“One more dose and every movement you made tonight becomes a temporary anomaly.”
Serena stepped between them.
“Don’t.”
Adrian laughed.
“You spent eleven months doing exactly this.”
Serena did not move.
“Yes.”
Her voice broke.
“And I will spend the rest of my life answering for it.”
Adrian’s expression twisted with disgust.
“Pathetic.”
He shoved her aside and moved toward Luca.
Luca reversed the wheelchair.
The altar blocked one direction.
Pews blocked the other.
Adrian approached slowly.
“You’ll wake tomorrow unable to move.”
Luca’s hand closed around the brass room key still in his pocket.
He had no idea why he held it.
Maybe because it was the first object Maya gave him when truth entered his life.
Adrian raised the injector.
A figure appeared in the chapel doorway behind him.
Marcus Vale.
His shirt was soaked from rain.
His face was bruised.
Adrian turned.
“What are you doing here?”
Marcus held up both hands.
“The police stopped me at the lower gate.”
Adrian looked furious.
“You were supposed to leave.”
“I did.”
Marcus looked at Luca.
“Then I realized running makes me the easiest person to blame.”
Luca almost admired the cowardice for its consistency.
Adrian pointed the injector toward him.
“You already are.”
Marcus swallowed.
“I have the original trial data.”
Everything stopped.
Adrian’s face drained.
Marcus explained that he kept a private copy after Claire filed her complaint.
He had participated in falsifying records, but he never trusted Adrian enough to destroy his insurance.
“Where is it?”
Adrian’s voice was low.
“Not here.”
“Then you’re useless.”
Adrian turned back toward Luca.
Marcus moved quickly.
He grabbed Adrian’s wrist.
The injector discharged during the struggle.
For one second nobody knew where the needle landed.
Then Adrian staggered backward.
The auto-injector was buried in his own thigh.
Marcus stared at it.
“Oh, God.”
Adrian ripped it out.
His face became savage.
“How much?”
Marcus looked at the empty chamber.
“Too much.”
Adrian took one step.
His right leg buckled.
He caught himself on a pew.
Luca watched with a terrible lack of sympathy.
Adrian tried again.
His left foot dragged.
The drug was fast.
Panic replaced fury.
“What did you give me?”
Marcus almost laughed from shock.
“The same thing you gave him.”
Adrian collapsed onto the marble.
His eyes remained fully alert.
His arms still moved, but his legs no longer obeyed him.
Maya stared.
Luca rolled closer.
Adrian looked up with naked fear.
“Help me.”
Luca stopped several feet away.
For eleven months, he had asked that question without saying the words.
Every doctor, every morning, every failed attempt to move had been a silent request.
Adrian had answered with another dose.
Luca looked at Marcus.
“Is he dying?”
“No.”
“Then the police can help him.”
Adrian’s face twisted.
“You can’t leave me like this.”
Luca held his gaze.
“No.”
May you like
His voice was calm.
“I can leave you exactly like this.”
