Chapter 17: The Bloodline Purge
While Elias was fighting the current, Julianna and Kaelen were in the back of a nondescript black van, moving through the city's elite "Emerald District."
Julianna was cleaning her weapon with a silk cloth. The scent of almond oil was thick in the cramped space.
"He made the jump," Kaelen said, his voice a low growl. "He's hard to kill, J. He remembers every exit, every shortcut. He's a living map."
"He's a map we've already read," Julianna replied. She didn't look at her brother. She was staring at a tablet screen showing the Senator's daughter, Claire, entering a high-end gala. "Elias is a distraction now. The police will find his 'confession' on his desk by morning. They'll think he killed Miller to protect his father's legacy."
"And the girl?" Kaelen asked, nodding toward the screen.
Julianna's eyes went cold. "The Senator took our childhood. It's only fair we take his future. Do it quickly. No signatures this time. Let the city think Elias has finally snapped."
Kaelen checked his rifle. "He's going to go to the house, Julianna. He's going to find the real Ledger."
"Let him," she whispered. "The real Ledger is the bait. I want him to have it in his hands when the SWAT team breaches the door. A rogue cop with the city's most dangerous secrets? They won't take him alive."