Chapter 8 - The Book in the Mountain Hangar
Snow covered Interstate 70 as Laura and Evelyn drove west before dawn.
Rachel rode with them.
Detective Ramirez had warned Laura not to trespass.
Rachel repeated the warning three times.
“You are a shareholder, not a locksmith.”
“I’m also suspended.”
“Exactly.”
“So what do we do if they refuse entry?”
“We get a court order.”
“That could take hours.”
“That is still better than getting arrested.”
Laura said nothing.
At Meridian’s mountain operations center, her access badge flashed red.
REVOKED.
Evelyn’s worked.
The security officer hesitated.
“Mrs. Mercer, I have instructions not to admit Laura.”
“From whom?”
“Mr. Mercer.”
Evelyn looked at the badge reader.
“I own thirty-three percent of this company and hold special voting rights over its fleet.”
“Ma’am—”
“You may escort us. You may call Grant. You may call the board. But you will not tell me I cannot inspect records of a company I own.”
The officer surrendered.
They reached the archive vault at 7:26 a.m.
The shelves were half empty.
Boxes marked DESTROY sat on rolling carts.
Laura’s pulse accelerated.
“Corporate board books,” she said.
An elderly maintenance supervisor named Cole Barrett stepped from behind a shelving unit.
“I thought you’d come.”
Laura knew Cole.
He had worked for William before Grant finished college.
“Where is it?”
Cole pointed to a locked steel cabinet.
“Melissa’s team told us that cabinet goes untouched until a courier arrives.”
“What courier?”
“Northstar Records Management.”
Rachel muttered, “Of course.”
Evelyn unlocked it with an old executive key.
Inside were six leather books.
The third covered the year William died.
Laura opened it.
No resolution expanded Grant’s authority.
Instead, the final entry signed by William read:
All material aircraft liens, pledges, or guarantees require affirmative approval of Evelyn Mercer and Laura Mercer Reed.
Evelyn covered her mouth.
William had protected them.
Grant had replaced that protection with a forged digital version after his death.
Laura photographed every page.
Rachel called Detective Ramirez.
“We found it.”
Then footsteps echoed outside.
Grant entered with two security officers.
“Put the book down.”
Laura closed it.
“No.”
“You’re suspended.”
Evelyn stepped in front of her.
“She is a shareholder.”
Grant looked exhausted.
“You have no idea what you’re doing to eight hundred employees.”
Laura raised the board book.
“I’m showing them who created the risk.”
Grant’s voice sharpened.
“That book is corporate property.”
“So were the three aircraft you pledged.”
“I can refinance Friday.”
“With what?”
“A rescue facility.”
Rachel asked, “From whom?”
Grant hesitated.
“Blackridge Partners.”
Evelyn laughed bitterly.
“They buy distressed companies.”
“They provide liquidity.”
“They take control.”
Grant looked at Laura.
“If we don’t approve Blackridge, Halcyon starts repossession.”
“And if we approve?”
“We save payroll.”
“At what price?”
Grant said nothing.
Laura knew.
Control.
Grant was offering the family company to another predator because his first secret loan had failed.
A man appeared behind him.
Mason Keene.
Laura stared.
“You.”
Grant spun.
Mason raised both hands.
“I’m not here for him.”
“Where have you been?” Laura demanded.
“Hiding.”
“Why?”
“Because Melissa told me if the airport plan failed, I was the easiest person to blame.”
Grant’s face changed.
“What airport plan?”
Mason laughed.
“You’re still doing that?”
Grant stepped toward him.
“Watch yourself.”
Mason looked at Laura.
“I processed the charter. Melissa gave me the documents. Grant approved the passenger list.”
Grant said, “You’re lying.”
“I have logs.”
“Then give them to police.”
“I will.”
Mason tapped his jacket pocket.
“I copied everything.”
Laura moved toward him.
“A drive?”
Mason nodded.
“Texts. dispatch approvals. server overrides. some finance records.”
Rachel stepped between them.
“Do not hand anything to Laura. Give it to law enforcement.”
Mason smiled nervously.
“I want immunity.”
“You need a lawyer.”
“I need leverage.”
An alarm suddenly screamed.
Not a fire.
Security.
The outer archive door slammed shut.
One of the guards checked his radio.
“Sheriff’s deputies are entering the building.”
Laura looked at Rachel.
“You called them?”
“No.”
Grant’s attorney appeared at the glass.
Beside him were deputies.
Grant held up a document.
“A theft complaint.”
Laura stared.
Grant pointed to the board book in her hands.
“You removed restricted corporate records while suspended.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“She had my authorization.”
Grant’s lawyer replied, “Mrs. Mercer does not have unilateral custody rights over corporate records.”
Rachel muttered, “Laura, put it down.”
Laura’s pride flared.
“No.”
“Put it down.”
“This proves fraud.”
“And we photographed it.”
Laura looked at Mason.
His hand was still inside his jacket.
Then all at once he bolted.
He ran through a side records door.
A deputy shouted.
Mason disappeared down the service corridor.
Grant lunged after him.
Someone struck Laura’s shoulder in the confusion.
The board book fell.
Melissa appeared at the corridor entrance.
Laura had not even seen her arrive.
She bent.
Grabbed the leather book.
And ran.
“STOP HER!”
Laura chased.
By the time they reached the loading bay, a black SUV was already accelerating into the snow.
Melissa sat in the passenger seat.
Mason was nowhere inside.
Grant stood beside Laura, breathing hard.
For one strange moment, brother and sister watched the same evidence disappear.
Then Grant looked at her.
“You just lost the original.”
Laura turned.
“You brought her here.”
“No.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
Grant looked genuinely stunned.
And that frightened Laura more than another lie.
May you like
Because if Grant had not sent Melissa—
then husband and wife were no longer running the same plan.
