Chapter 17 - The Confession
Voss chose an abandoned roadside chapel forty miles from Fort Redstone.
Olivia entered alone.
He sat in the front pew wearing civilian clothes, looking ten years older than he had the day before.
"No weapon?" he asked.
"You first."
He placed a pistol on the floor and kicked it down the aisle.
Olivia remained standing.
"Talk."
Voss stared at the empty altar.
"Your father found Black Lantern when it was still small. Procurement skimming. Fake repairs. Contractor kickbacks. Rusk ran it. I protected him because he promised me command."
"And when my father found out?"
Voss's eyes dropped.
"Rusk ordered me to stop him."
"Stop him how?"
"I arranged for medication to be added to Daniel's drink. I was told it would make him sick enough to miss a hearing."
Olivia's voice went flat. "You expect me to believe that?"
"No. I expect you to believe what happened next. He collapsed. Rusk refused an autopsy. I signed the cancellation."
Olivia wanted to hit him.
She did not move.
"Why talk now?"
"Because Rusk is cleaning the board. Reed. Pike. Hale. You. Me."
Voss handed her a small recorder.
"Rusk called me after Bay 17."
The recording was clear.
Rusk's voice: You should have handled Mitchell the way you handled her father.
Olivia closed her eyes.
There it was.
Not enough alone for every crime.
Enough to break the wall.
A red laser dot appeared on Voss's chest.
Olivia saw it one second before the window shattered.
She tackled him sideways.
A round tore through the pew.
They crawled behind stone columns as more shots cracked through the chapel.
Voss whispered, "Rusk found me."
Olivia drew her weapon.
"Good."
He stared at her.
May you like
She looked toward the broken window.
"Now we know where to look."
