Page 4 of Fatal Conspiracy

“Not so long, but I should check the cabin and prepare it for winter, so the timing worked out great.”

“But you’ll be back Sunday to drive me to Minneapolis, right?”

“I would never leave you stranded,” Derek promised, patting him on the back and herding him closer to where he’d need to be when they announced his name.

“My water bottle!” Hugo exclaimed, and Derek quickly put a finger on his lips.

“Shh.” He hushed him. “It’s already waiting for you onstage. They’re about to announce your name. You’ve got this. Everyone here is your target audience, so there’s no reason to be nervous. They’re here for the sole reason of hearing what you have to say. Promote the new app and you’ll have them eating out of your hand.” Another bald-faced lie, but Hugo was known for his stage fright.

With a gentle pat on his shoulder, Hugo grinned. “You are good at what you do, Derek, but lying to an old man? That’s a new low even for you.”

“I would do no such thing. Besides, you’re not an old man. Some would say you’re in the prime of your life.” After one last check to ensure Hugo had everything heneeded, Derek patted his back. “I’m going to head out and stand in the back of the room. Good luck!” he exclaimed quietly before he exited stage left.

He never stopped at the back of the room, knowing there wasn’t a chance his boss would ever see him in a conference room of that size, so cutting out now gave him extra time to get to his favorite place. He hadn’t been to his cabin in too long. It had gotten so bad, he’d started paying a local caretaker to watch over it. Now that it was nearing the end of October, it was time to prepare it for winter with the hope that, next year, he would get to see the inside of it more often.

His cabin, just off Minnesota Highway 61 between Duluth and Two Harbors, had been a staple in his life since he was a kid. First, his grandparents had owned it and when they’d passed, it went to his parents. Since his dad passed away and his mom moved to Florida to live with a group of her bridge club friends, she had gifted it to him. It was always his dream to live there year-round, but the infrastructure wasn’t there for such an undertaking, especially during the winter months.

The cool air hit him in the face when he stepped out of the convention center, and he inhaled deeply, the fresh air invigorating him. As he pulled off his suit coat and tie in preparation for the short drive along the scenic highway, the gently lapping waves against the shore of Lake Superior reminded him why work couldn’t be his entire life. When he pulled onto the highway, he chuckled at the thought. He already knew that, but he was sure Hugo had missed that memo.

Derek had four days to figure out how to break the news to his boss that their time together was coming to a close.

* * *

“PLEASE WELCOME OURfirst presenter. A man who needs no introduction, Mr. Hugo Victor!”

Alayah had to force herself not to roll her eyes as she motioned for Zac to cut the master of ceremony’s mic. The dude had spent the first fifteen minutes of the conference giving the audience instructions like a drill sergeant and the next fifteen minutes introducing Hugo as if he were up for an Emmy. Apparently, the man needed plenty of introduction. She reminded herself that she was jaded by the years she had spent in a place full of people who thought their newest tech development made them God’s gift to the green earth. The truth was, they weren’t any different from the last guy who had been standing up there. While his tenure had been long, in the end, the same could be said for Hugo Victor, but she knew better than to say that around this crowd.

When he walked out onto the stage, the audience stood, giving him a standing ovation before he had so much as uttered a word. That wasn’t the reason her gaze tracked around the room. She was pinpointing where the Secure One agents were stationed and taking count. She had Cal on one side and Eric on the other side of the stage, Roman and Mack in the aisle to her left, and Jonah and Lucas on her right. Next to her sat Declan and Zac, whom she had commandeered when she was informed that she would be running all the equipment for the presentations. She couldn’t do that alone. Thankfully, it gave Cal plenty of time to get more men to Duluth before the conference officially got underway.

“Good morning, Northland,” Hugo said from the stage, and she adjusted his microphone to subtly improve the tone throughout the room.

From there, she handed the AV equipment controls toZac and Declan so she could concentrate on keeping the security tight for the convention center’s computer programs. Allowing anything to slip past her could open a door for any number of bad players to walk through. Not on her watch. She had every intention of doing her part to keep the conference safe, as that would secure her job for years to come.

She glanced away from her computer to watch Hugo take another drink from his water bottle. He’d been speaking for nearly an hour and had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. He walked to the left of the stage and coughed once before he returned to his speech. With her attention focused on the checks and balances of her programs, it took her several moments to realize Hugo had stopped speaking. By the time she looked at the stage, he was crumpling to the ground, gurgling breath sounds filling the auditorium before Zac could cut his mic. Someone screamed before pandemonium ensued. Cal and Roman jumped onstage while the rest of the team moved in to protect the perimeter.

“Call an ambulance,” Cal hollered, his fingers to Hugo’s neck.

Declan did just that while she turned to Zac. “What just happened?”

“I have no idea, but whatever it is, it’s not good.”

The tight draw to his lips told her she might have just watched a man die.

Chapter Three

It was close to dark when Derek returned to the cabin after spending a few hours fishing from the dock. He had arrived before noon and spent the afternoon cleaning up around the property and splitting some firewood to use once the sun went down and the night cooled. While he had stopped to pick up groceries, fresh lake trout had sounded like heaven, so he’d grabbed his pole and headed to the shore. He hadn’t caught any trout, but the bass and crappies in his basket would taste just as good. All it took was one afternoon on the lake to solidify his decision to leave the city and strike out on his own. The four hours he’d spent away from his phone had been peaceful, but he made a mental note to check it once he got back inside, just in case Hugo had called. There was very little cell coverage out here, but he’d found the left corner of his kitchen counter was the one place the phone had reception.

As he cleaned and filleted the fish, he let his mind wander to the infinite possibilities that life held for him if he got off the hamster wheel, which told him the time had come to walk away. He was working too much but not reaping the benefits of the time spent. Did he have to work? Yes. Did he have to devote every waking minute to making someone else money while he settled for a salary that would neverequal his worth? No. Would Hugo Victor understand that? Also no. But he could no longer use that as the reason he didn’t stand up for himself.

Ultimately, Hugo himself was the only reason he’d continued in the position for as long as he had. He’d become like a father to him and the last thing Derek wanted to do was hurt him. Unfortunately, he also couldn’t continue with the status quo. Once they returned to the city, he’d sit down and have a serious conversation with him. The unhealthy pallor of his boss’s skin crossed his mind, and he amended that statement. After Hugo went to the doctor, he’d sit him down and have a conversation with him. Thankfully, Derek had taken it upon himself to make him an appointment for next week. Something just didn’t sit right with him about how his boss had been acting lately.

He grabbed the fish and his cleaning supplies and walked into the cabin, pushing the door open with his butt so he could make his way to the sink to wash the fish and his knives. He was drying the fish when he felt a presence behind him. Just a whisper of air that told him he wasn’t alone. He grabbed a knife and spun around, barely dodging a fist that glanced off his jaw without doing much damage.

The man before him was dressed head to toe in black and carried a small gun that was likely just as deadly as a big one would be. Derek put up his hands in defense.

“Take whatever you want,” he said slowly. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“Where are the files?” The guy’s voice was deep and booming inside the small cabin.