Addressed to the queen
Chapter 70: Addressed to the Queen
The warehouse smelled like smoke.
And fear.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Neither smell bothered Amara.
A concerning fact.
Very concerning.
The surgeon stood beside Lorenzo near the center of the damaged warehouse.
Security teams moved around them.
Photographs.
Evidence collection.
Weapons.
The usual.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Daniel stood several feet away.
Silent.
Watching.
Thinking.
A recurring problem.
Very recurring.
Victoria looked like she wanted to set the entire building on fire.
Again.
A recurring problem.
Very recurring.
The message sat on a steel table in the middle of the warehouse.
A single white envelope.
Clean.
Untouched.
Perfect.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The envelope contained only three words.
Written in elegant handwriting.
For Dr. Queen.
The audacity.
The complete audacity.
Undefeated.
Nobody had opened it.
Not Lorenzo.
Not Victoria.
Not Daniel.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because somehow...
Everyone understood.
This wasn't meant for them.
The envelope belonged to Amara.
And everyone knew it.
The betrayal.
The respectful-criminal behavior betrayal.
Undefeated.
Lorenzo looked toward her.
Dangerously.
"We burn it."
Silence.
Immediate silence.
Amara stared.
Then stared harder.
Because that was ridiculous.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"No."
The king's expression darkened.
Immediately.
"Amara."
"No."
Absolute silence.
The argument ended before it began.
A recurring occurrence.
Very recurring.
Victoria quietly stepped backward.
Immediately.
Because she possessed survival instincts.
Good survival instincts.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Amara picked up the envelope.
Carefully.
Professionally.
Dangerously.
The paper felt ordinary.
The realization somehow made it worse.
Much worse.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
She opened it.
Slowly.
The warehouse became silent.
Deathly silent.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Nobody spoke.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Inside sat a single folded letter.
Nothing else.
No fingerprints.
No photographs.
No clues.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The surgeon unfolded the page.
Then began reading.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The letter contained only a few lines.
Simple lines.
Terrifying lines.
?
Dear Amara,
You've spent months looking in the wrong direction.
Daniel looked at the future.
Victoria looked at the organization.
Hale looked at the model.
You are the only one who never looked at yourself.
That is why I chose you.
?
Absolute silence.
The warehouse froze.
Immediately.
Because nobody liked that.
Nobody.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Amara continued reading.
?
You believe people deserve saving.
I want to know if you truly mean it.
Tomorrow, you will be given a choice.
A real one.
Not a simulation.
Not a prediction.
A choice.
?
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Daniel looked sick.
Actually sick.
A concerning development.
Very concerning.
Amara kept reading.
?
The funny thing about children is that they tell the truth.
You told us yours fifteen years ago.
Now I want to see if it survived adulthood.
?
The warehouse felt colder.
Dangerously colder.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Then she reached the final line.
The final sentence.
The sentence that made her blood run cold.
Actually cold.
?
Come alone if you want answers.
Bring Lorenzo if you want a war.
Bring Daniel if you want a prediction.
Bring Victoria if you want a lie.
But if you want Evelyn alive...
Come as yourself.
?
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Nobody spoke.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Amara slowly lowered the letter.
The warehouse remained frozen.
Then Daniel laughed.
Once.
Humorlessly.
Dangerously.
The sound echoed through the building.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Lorenzo immediately looked ready to throw him through a wall.
Reasonably.
Very reasonably.
"What."
Daniel shook his head.
Slowly.
Disbelievingly.
Like he'd just realized something horrifying.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"He knows."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Victoria's face paled.
Immediately.
The specialist already understood.
Of course she did.
The betrayal.
The understanding betrayal.
Undefeated.
Amara frowned.
Dangerously.
"What does he know?"
Daniel looked directly at her.
For the first time since arriving...
The ghost looked genuinely afraid.
Actually afraid.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Then he answered.
Quietly.
Carefully.
Terrifyingly.
"He knows this isn't about Evelyn."
Absolute silence.
The world stopped.
Immediately.
Because suddenly...
Every piece moved.
Every clue shifted.
Every assumption broke.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Daniel swallowed hard.
Then finished speaking.
"The person who stole the model..."
A pause.
Another.
Then:
"...has never been trying to kill anyone."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The warehouse froze.
Again.
A recurring problem.
Very recurring.
And somewhere in Chicago...
A man who wasn't supposed to exist was waiting.
Not for Lorenzo.
Not for Daniel.
Not for Victoria.
For Amara.
And tomorrow...
Dr. Amara Queen was finally going to meet the person who had spent fifteen years planning for her arrival.
End Chapter 70: Addressed to the Queen