Chapter 7: The House With No Cameras
David read the message twice.
*Because now I have your son.*
His thumb hovered over the screen.
Then he called Rosa.
She answered immediately.
“David?””
“Where’s Ethan?””
A pause.
“What do you mean?””
“Where is he?””
Rosa's breathing changed.
“He was sitting beside me.””
“Was?””
“I turned around for maybe ten seconds. The back door was open.””
David closed his eyes.
“Rosa, listen to me. Do not leave the house. Do not chase anyone. Lock every door.””
“David, what happened?””
“I found something.””
“What?””
“Vanessa has been watching us.””
Rosa went silent.
David looked toward Daniel.
The boy was standing beside the staircase, pale and trembling.
“Is Ethan hurt?”” Daniel asked.
David covered the phone.
“I don't know.””
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
“She'll hurt him.””
David turned toward him.
“Why?””
“Because she always does when she's scared.””
The elderly woman grabbed Daniel's shoulder.
“Don't say anything else.””
David stared at her.
“You know what she does.””
The woman looked away.
“I've seen enough.””
Outside, the black SUV remained parked at the curb.
The driver's door opened.
The same man from David's house stepped onto the sidewalk.
He didn't look toward the house.
He simply stood beneath a streetlamp, smoking.
David watched him through the curtains.
“Who is he?”” David asked.
Daniel whispered, “His name is Victor.””
David looked at him.
“You know him?””
“He works for my mom.””
“Doing what?””
Daniel shrugged.
“Whatever she tells him.””
David's phone buzzed again.
This time it was a video.
He opened it.
The footage showed Ethan.
His son was sitting in what looked like a basement.
His wrists weren't tied.
But the door behind him was locked.
Ethan looked directly at the camera.
“Daddy?””
David's heart cracked.
He raised the volume.
Ethan's voice shook.
“I didn't tell her anything.””
A woman's voice came from behind the camera.
“Tell your father where you are.””
Ethan looked down.
“I don't know.””
The woman laughed softly.
“You know.””
“No.””
David recognized the voice.
Vanessa.
She stepped into the frame.
“You see what happens when your father doesn't listen?””
Ethan flinched.
David's blood boiled.
“Vanessa!””
The video continued.
Vanessa leaned toward Ethan.
“Tell him what you found.””
Ethan shook his head.
“I didn't find anything.””
Vanessa's expression hardened.
“You're lying.””
David suddenly noticed something behind Ethan.
A red pipe.
A small window.
A concrete wall.
And a metal staircase.
He paused the video.
The background looked familiar.
Not from his house.
From somewhere else.
Then he saw it.
A faded yellow stripe along the wall.
David remembered the property records.
His company owned an abandoned warehouse three miles from the house.
The old warehouse had been closed for years.
He had never visited it.
David looked at Daniel.
“Do you know where she keeps Ethan?””
Daniel nodded.
“There's an old building.””
“Where?””
Daniel pointed toward the window.
“Near the railroad tracks.””
David's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Vanessa spoke first.
“You found Daniel.””
David's jaw tightened.
“Let Ethan go.””
“You don't get to give me orders anymore.””
“You're holding an eight-year-old child.””
“So are you.””
“Ethan is my son.””
“And Daniel is mine.””
David glanced at the boy.
“Daniel isn't a possession.””
Vanessa laughed.
“You sound like his mother.””
“What happened to his mother?””
A pause.
“You've been asking the wrong questions.””
“Then give me the right ones.””
“You want your son back?””
“Yes.””
“Bring me the USB.””
David looked down.
“You'll let Ethan go?””
“You have my word.””
“I don't trust you.””
“You shouldn't.””
The line went dead.
David stared at the phone.
The elderly woman stepped forward.
“You can't give her that drive.””
“I know.””
“She'll destroy the evidence.””
“I know.””
Daniel looked at David.
“She won't let Ethan go.””
David met his eyes.
“Why?””
“Because she never keeps promises.””
David looked toward Victor outside.
The man had disappeared.
“Then we're going to make sure she can't break this one.””
David called Michael.
This time, Michael answered immediately.
“You found Daniel.””
David froze.
“How do you know?””
“I've been watching.””
“Are you working with Vanessa?””
“No.””
“Then prove it.””
“I can.””
“Tell me how.””
“Don't go to the warehouse alone.””
“I wasn't planning to.””
“Good.””
Michael's voice lowered.
“There's something you need to know about Victor.””
David looked toward the street.
“What?””
“He was the driver the night your wife died.””
David's blood ran cold.
“You're certain?””
“I have photographs.””
“Why didn't you tell me before?””
“Because I needed to know whether you were compromised.””
“Compromised by who?””
Michael didn't answer.
David heard another voice in the background.
A woman.
Michael's voice changed.
“David, listen carefully. There is a second copy of the files.””
“Where?””
“Your wife's grave.””
David frowned.
“What?””
“Under the stone.””
“That's impossible.””
“She arranged it herself.””
David glanced at Daniel.
Michael continued.
“If anything happened to me, you were supposed to find it.””
David's eyes narrowed.
“You said you were her attorney.””
“I was.””
“What aren't you telling me?””
Michael was silent.
Then he said, “Your wife didn't trust me either.””
The call ended.
David stood motionless.
The elderly woman stared at him.
“What did he say?””
David looked at Daniel.
“We're going to get your brother back.””
Daniel's eyes widened.
“Brother?””
David nodded.
“For tonight, yes.””
He turned toward the door.
Then stopped.
Something on the floor caught his eye.
A tiny green light.
A miniature camera.
David picked it up.
The device had been hidden beneath a side table.
He looked at the elderly woman.
“Who installed this?””
She shook her head.
“I don't know.””
David examined it.
A red recording indicator blinked.
Then a tiny speaker crackled.
Vanessa's voice came through.
“You should have listened when I told you to stay away.””
David looked at Daniel.
The boy's face went white.
The speaker continued.
“Now you're going to learn why Ethan was never the real target.””
The recording stopped.
David stared at the camera.
Then at Daniel.
“What does she mean?””
Daniel didn't answer.
He was staring at the floor.
Finally, he whispered:
“Because my mother doesn't want Ethan's inheritance.””
David's heart stopped.
“She wants something else.””
“What?””
May you like
Daniel looked up.
“She wants what happened to my father to stay buried.””
