Chapter 7: The Man They Buried
Victoria grabbed my arm.
“Move.””
I clutched the acquisition agreement against my chest.
“What about my father?””
“If Charles is here, your father may be too.””
“Then I'm not leaving without him.””
Victoria looked toward the window.
“You don't understand. Charles doesn't come here unless he's desperate.””
A heavy knock struck the front door.
Then another.
Charles's voice carried through the house.
“Maya!””
I froze.
“Open the door.””
Victoria pulled me toward the study.
“There.””
She pushed aside an old bookcase.
A narrow wooden panel swung inward.
Darkness waited behind it.
I stared.
“You weren't joking.””
“I never joke about your family.””
We slipped inside.
Victoria closed the panel.
The sound of another impact shook the house.
“They're coming in,” I whispered.
“Then we'd better be gone.””
We moved through a narrow stone passage.
The air smelled damp and cold.
Behind us, the study door crashed open.
Charles shouted,
“Find her!””
Boots thundered across the floor.
I gripped the agreement tighter.
“Why does he want this?””
Victoria kept walking.
“Because that document contains something he can't afford to let you see.””
“What?””
“I haven't read the final pages.””
“You're telling me you came here without knowing?””
“I came here to stop him from getting to you.””
“Why?””
She stopped.
Then turned.
“Because your mother once saved my life.””
The answer silenced me.
We continued.
At the end of the tunnel, a rusted metal door opened into the old boathouse.
Snow blew through broken windows.
Marcus was waiting beside a black SUV.
I almost cried with relief.
“Marcus!””
He stepped toward us.
“Are you hurt?””
“No.””
He looked at Victoria.
“You.””
She nodded.
“Drive.””
Marcus didn't ask questions.
The SUV tore away from the property.
I watched the lake house disappear behind us.
Then I looked at Victoria.
“You said my mother saved your life.””
“Yes.””
“How?””
Victoria stared out the window.
“Charles discovered I was planning to leave the family.””
“And?””
“He tried to have me killed.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
“Your mother found out.””
“What did she do?””
“She confronted him.””
“Alone?””
“Yes.””
Victoria's mouth tightened.
“She threatened to expose everything.””
I looked down.
“That's why she became a target.””
“Yes.””
My phone rang.
Ryan.
I answered.
“Where are you?””
“On the road.””
“Good.””
“Are you safe?””
“For now.””
“Listen carefully. I found the address.””
“Of Daniel?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
“An old private clinic outside Milwaukee.””
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“Why would Daniel be there?””
“I don't know.””
“Ryan, are you coming?””
“Yes.””
“Don't.””
He paused.
“What?””
“If your father is watching you, he'll follow you.””
“I don't care.””
“I do.””
“Maya—”
“You've already risked enough.””
“So have you.””
I closed my eyes.
“Ryan.””
“I love you.””
The words hurt.
Not because I didn't want to hear them.
Because I still did.
I whispered,
“I don't know if I can believe you anymore.””
He was silent.
Then he said,
“Then don't believe me.””
I frowned.
“Believe what you find.””
The call ended.
Two hours later, we reached Milwaukee.
The clinic had been abandoned for years.
The building stood behind a chain-link fence, its windows dark.
Marcus parked across the street.
Victoria looked at me.
“You're sure?””
“No.””
“Good.””
I almost smiled.
“Why is that good?””
“Because certainty gets people killed.””
We entered through a broken side door.
Inside, the hallway smelled of mold.
Old medical equipment sat beneath plastic sheets.
I found a reception desk.
Behind it was a filing cabinet.
Victoria searched the drawers.
Nothing.
Then I saw a name scratched into the wood.
*D.B.*
My pulse quickened.
“Victoria.””
She came over.
I touched the initials.
“Daniel Bennett.””
She nodded.
We searched the room.
Behind an old radiator, I found a key.
A small brass key with a number attached.
*214.*
“Room 214.””
We climbed the stairs.
The second floor was almost completely dark.
Room 214 was at the end of the hall.
The key fit.
The door opened.
Inside was a single bed.
A desk.
And a photograph taped to the wall.
I stepped closer.
It was my mother.
Holding Daniel.
Beside her stood a young man.
I knew him.
I had seen him before.
But I couldn't place where.
Victoria whispered,
“That's Ethan.””
“Who?””
“Your mother's younger brother.””
“My uncle?””
She nodded.
“He disappeared the same year Daniel did.””
I stared at the photograph.
Then noticed writing beneath it.
*If Maya ever comes looking, tell her the truth.*
My hands shook.
“What truth?””
A voice answered from the doorway.
“The truth is that Daniel wasn't the child Charles wanted dead.””
I turned.
A man stood in the hallway.
Older.
Thin.
Gray hair.
But his eyes—
Green.
The same green eyes as my mother's.
Victoria gasped.
“Ethan.””
The man looked at me.
His expression collapsed.
“Maya.””
I couldn't move.
“Who are you?””
He stepped into the room.
“I'm your uncle.””
I stared at him.
“You're alive.””
“So is your brother.””
My heart stopped.
“Daniel?””
Ethan nodded.
“He's been alive all these years.””
“Where?””
Ethan looked toward the hallway.
“Not here.””
“Then where?””
He reached into his coat.
Before he could answer, headlights flashed through the window.
Three vehicles.
Then four.
Ethan's face hardened.
“Charles found us.””
Victoria grabbed my hand.
“We need to go.””
But Ethan shook his head.
“No.””
He looked at me.
“It's time.””
He handed me a small envelope.
On the front was my name.
*Maya.*
I opened it.
Inside was a single photograph.
A teenage boy stood beside my mother.
His eyes were green.
His face was older than the baby in the earlier photograph.
On the back, one sentence was written.
*Your brother has been watching you for eleven months.*
I looked up.
“Who took this?””
Ethan stared at me.
“Daniel.””
A gunshot exploded downstairs.
Victoria pulled me behind the wall.
Ethan whispered,
“He knew Ryan would come for you.””
My blood ran cold.
“What does that mean?””
Ethan looked at me.
“Daniel isn't hiding from the Whitmores.””
May you like
He paused.
“He's hunting them.””
