My Contract Husband

Chapter 9 : Checkmate

Emma stared at her phone.

`You think you won? Checkmate comes next. Meet me at the old airstrip. Alone. -D`

2:17 AM.

Her hands were shaking.

Down the hall, she heard Alexander’s footsteps. Heavy. Fast. He was already awake.

Knock knock.

“Emma,” Alexander’s voice. Low. Dangerous. “Did you get it too?”

Emma opened the door. Alexander was in black. No tie. No suit. Just black shirt, black pants, and a look that said he was ready to burn down a city.

He held up his phone. Same message.

“He sent it to both of us,” Alexander said. “He wants to split us. Classic Daniel.”

Emma crossed her arms. “I’m going.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Emma.” Alexander stepped into her room. “It’s a trap.”

“Everything is a trap with you people!” Emma snapped. “The contract was a trap. The coffee shop was a trap. At least this trap I choose to walk into.”

For a second, Alexander looked hurt. Then his face went blank. “Fine. We go. Together.”

“We?”

“I’m not letting you go alone,” Alexander said. “That’s not a debate. That’s not a request.”

Emma sighed. “Then we need a plan. A real plan. Not your 6-months-ago plan.”

Dane was already in the living room with 3 laptops and half-eaten pizza. The TV was playing news on mute.

“Morning sunshine,” Dane said to Emma. “Also, we’re tracking Daniel’s jet with a pizza delivery app. Don’t ask.”

“Why a pizza app?” Emma asked, confused.

“Because Daniel ordered pizza to the airstrip 20 minutes ago,” Dane said, mouth full. “Pepperoni. Extra cheese. And garlic bread. Coward.”

Alexander looked at the screens. “He’s there. Alone.”

“Alone?” Emma frowned. “That’s not like him. He always has 8 men and one guy on TikTok.”

“That’s why it’s a trap,” Alexander said. “But we go anyway.”

Dane saluted with pizza. “I live for this. Also boss, I called Officer Martins. He said no jollof this time. He wants pounded yam.”

“Tell him we’ll discuss after we don’t die,” Alexander said.

Emma went to change. Her hands were shaking so bad she couldn’t zip her jacket.

Alexander appeared behind her. “Here.”

He zipped it for her. His fingers brushed her neck.

“Thank you,” Emma whispered.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Alexander said. “We might not make it back.”

Emma turned to face him. “Why do you do this? Why do you always plan everything alone?”

Alexander was quiet. “Because 5 years ago I trusted someone with the plan. They died. I’m not losing you too.”

Emma’s heart hurt. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good,” Alexander said. “Because I don’t know what I’d do if you did.”

30 minutes later, they were driving to the abandoned airstrip. North mountains. Fog everywhere. Cold.

Emma was in the backseat. Alexander driving. 140km/h. Dane in passenger seat, eating pizza and tracking Daniel’s location.

“This is the worst stakeout food,” Dane said. “We should’ve gotten shawarma. With extra pepper.”

“Shut up, Dane,” Alexander and Emma said at the same time.

They looked at each other and both looked away fast.

The airstrip was dark. One hangar. One jet. Daniel’s jet.

And Daniel. Standing in the middle, hands in pockets. Alone.

No bodyguards. No guns. Just him.

Emma got out first.

“Emma,” Alexander said warning. “Stay behind me.”

“I’m a grown woman,” Emma shot back. “I can handle my ex-fiancé’s crazy brother.”

Daniel smiled when he saw her. Wide. Fake. “You came. I knew you would. You always were the curious one.”

“Where are the files, Daniel?” Emma asked. No fear in her voice. Fake it till you make it.

Daniel laughed. “Straight to business. I like it. More than you ever liked my brother.”

“Don’t,” Alexander warned. His voice was ice.

“What?” Daniel spread his arms. “We’re family now. Sort of. Through marriage. The contract. The lies.”

He walked closer. Stopped 10 feet away.

“The files are in that hangar,” Daniel said, pointing. “All of them. Your father’s secrets. My father’s secrets. Everything. Proof that we’re all monsters.”

Emma took a step forward.

“Emma no,” Alexander grabbed her arm. His grip was tight.

Daniel’s eyes lit up. “Ooooh. You care. That’s new. You never cared about anyone, brother.”

“Shut up, Daniel,” Alexander said.

Daniel sighed dramatically. “This is boring. Can we get to the part where I monologue? I’ve been practicing in the mirror.”

Nobody laughed.

“Fine,” Daniel said. He started pacing. “6 months ago, I found out my father was going to give the company to you. Not me. His favorite son. The perfect son. The one who never made mistakes. So I started looking for leverage. And I found Emma’s father.”

Emma’s stomach dropped.

“He had the files,” Daniel continued. “Proof that my father and I sold weapons to terrorists. Money laundering. Bribery. I offered him money. He said no. Said he had integrity. Then he had a car accident.”

“Liar,” Emma whispered. Tears in her eyes.

“Am I?” Daniel asked. He pulled out a cigarette but didn’t light it. “Check the files. They’re all there. Signed. Dated. Your father’s handwriting.”

He gestured to the hangar. The door was open. A box inside on a table.

Emma looked at Alexander. He nodded once. Slow.

She walked in.

The box was there. Manila folder. Thick. Old.

She opened it with shaking hands.

Photos. Bank statements. Contracts. Her father’s signature on everything. Dates from 5 years ago.

Emma felt sick. “Dad...”

“Find what you’re looking for?” Daniel called from outside. “Take your time. The bomb timer has 10 minutes.”

Emma froze. “Bomb?!”

Alexander was already moving. “Dane, sweep the hangar!”

Dane was running with some device. “Nothing yet! But boss, the files are fake! I just scanned them! Wrong paper stock!”

Alexander’s eyes narrowed.

Outside, Daniel smiled. “So? What’s it gonna be, brother? Give me the company or I leak everything and blow up the evidence.”

Alexander stepped forward. “You want the company?”

“Yes.”

“Come get it.”

Daniel frowned. “What?”

Sirens.

Not police this time. SWAT. 6 vehicles. From all sides.

Daniel spun around. “What is this?!”

“Plan B,” Alexander said calmly. “6 months ago. When I knew you’d do something stupid.”

“You planned this too?!” Daniel yelled.

“I plan everything,” Alexander said. “Even you.”

Daniel laughed. Manic. Unhinged. “You think this ends here?!”

He pulled something from his pocket. A remote. Small. Black.

He pressed it.

The hangar exploded.

Fire and smoke everywhere. Heat. Noise.

Alexander tackled Emma to the ground, covering her with his body.

When the smoke cleared 10 seconds later, Daniel was gone.

Gone.

No body. No jet. Just fire.

“WHERE IS HE?!” Alexander roared.

Dane was coughing. “Boss! Underground tunnel! I saw it! Old smuggler route from 1998!”

Alexander ran to the edge of the crater. There was a metal door, half open. Smoke coming out.

“He planned an escape route too,” Alexander said. His jaw was tight. “Of course he did.”

Emma stood up, shaking. “He’s getting away.”

“No, he’s not,” Alexander said. He pulled out his phone. “Because 6 months ago, I bugged his watch.”

He pressed a button.

A voice came through. Daniel’s voice, panting. “You think you won? This is round 2. I’ll be back.”

Then static.

“He’s in the mountains,” Alexander said. “Heading east.”

“We need to go,” Dane said. “Before the real police come.”

In the car, Emma didn’t speak for 10 minutes. She just stared at the folder.

Finally she opened the locket. Her dad’s locket.

Inside was a tiny USB drive.

“The real files,” she whispered. “My dad hid them here. The note said so.”

Alexander looked at her. “Your dad was smarter than all of us.”

“He was,” Emma said. “And you’re an i***t for not telling me.”

“I was scared,” Alexander said quietly. “If Daniel knew you had them, he would’ve killed you months ago. Before I could protect you.”

Emma looked out the window. “So what now?”

“Now,” Alexander said, “we end this. For good. We leak the real files. We take down Daniel and everything he built.”

His phone buzzed.

Unknown number.

Text: `Nice try. Round 3 starts tomorrow. Bring the USB. Come alone this time. Or I’ll come for her. -D`

Emma read it over his shoulder.

She sighed. “I hate this family.”

Alexander almost smiled. Small. Tired. “Welcome to it.”

Dane threw the pizza box out the window. “Round 3? Guy needs to learn how to take an L. Also boss, the tunnel leads to an old mine. He’s probably hiding there.”

Emma laughed. Then cried. Then laughed again.

Destiny. Or planning.

Either way, she was in too deep to run now.