Page 201 of Hidden Tide

Marcus Bell stares into the fingerprint scanner.

He doesn’t deny who he is.

He doesn’t ask for an attorney.

He looks through the glass doors of Hazel’s apartment building toward the false ambulance, the dead gunman and the growing number of federal agents.

Then he lowers his head.

“Where is Simon?” Agent Marquez asks through the secure connection.

Marcus says nothing.

“You helped two armed men enter a protected building. One of them attempted to shoot a federal agent.”

Still nothing.

“Your brother is alive.”

Marcus looks up.

For the first time, his expression changes.

Marquez turns the tablet so he can see Elliot sitting inside the armored transport with Scott.

“Simon’s men were taking him into the bay,” she continues. “They intended to kill him and Peter Lang.”

Marcus steps closer to the screen.

“Elliot.”

His voice breaks on his brother’s name.

Elliot stares back at him.

For six years, he believed Marcus was dead.

Now his brother stands inside Hazel’s apartment building wearing a stolen police uniform.

“Why?” Elliot asks.

Marcus closes his eyes.

“Why did you leave us?”

“I didn’t have a choice.”

“You always have a choice.”

“Simon said he would kill you and Dad.”

“So you worked for him?”

“I kept him away from you.”

Elliot laughs bitterly.

“He had me break into Ivy Sinclair’s studio. He kidnapped Dad. He put me on a boat so his men could dump my body in the bay. You didn’t keep him away from us.”