Chapter 12 - BROTHER AGAINST FATHER
The bullet struck the man behind Elena.
A guard dropped in the doorway.
Elena spun around.
Nolan grabbed the guard’s weapon.
“We have about thirty seconds.”
Elena stared at him.
“You lied about my sister.”
“Twelve years ago? Yeah.”
“You told police she got into a car.”
“I know.”
“You knew she was here.”
Nolan looked sick.
“I helped Dad bring her.”
Elena punched him.
Hard.
Nolan stumbled into the wall.
Sofia shouted, “Elena!”
Elena swung again.
Nolan didn’t fight back.
“You took her!”
“I was nineteen.”
“So was I!”
“I was terrified of him.”
Elena grabbed his shirt.
“She lost twelve years!”
“I know.”
“You don’t get to say that!”
Another alarm sounded.
Nolan grabbed her wrists.
“Hate me later. Right now Leo dies if we don’t move.”
Sofia touched Elena’s arm.
“He helped me.”
Elena looked at her.
“What?”
“The last two years. He brought medicine. Food. He tried to get me out.”
Nolan looked away.
“I was trying to undo it.”
“You can’t undo twelve years.”
“No.”
He met her eyes.
“But I can stop year thirteen.”
In Room Seven, Daniel pushed the flash drive toward Arthur.
“Password.”
Arthur stared at the laptop.
His mother’s clue appeared on screen.
WHAT IS THE ONE THING DANIEL COULD NEVER OWN?
Arthur knew immediately.
He typed:
CHOICE.
ACCESS DENIED.
Daniel smiled.
“Your mother always loved games.”
Arthur typed:
TRUTH.
Denied.
FAMILY.
Denied.
Daniel became impatient.
“Think.”
Arthur looked at him.
“You’re afraid.”
Daniel laughed.
“Of what?”
“Whatever is on this drive.”
Daniel stepped closer.
Arthur noticed the slight tremor in his father’s hand.
For the first time in his life, he saw it.
Not power.
Fear.
Arthur smiled.
Daniel’s face hardened.
“What?”
“You’re scared of Mom.”
Daniel hit him.
Arthur fell against the table.
“She was weak.”
Arthur wiped blood from his lip.
“No.”
He stood.
“She beat you.”
Daniel grabbed him.
“I won.”
“She made you fake your own death.”
Daniel froze.
Arthur laughed.
“She forced you into hiding for nine years.”
“Shut up.”
“You couldn’t touch the evidence without me.”
“Shut up!”
Arthur suddenly understood the answer.
His mother’s voice came back from childhood.
Something she had said whenever Daniel tried to control every detail of their lives.
There is one thing nobody can own, Arthur. Not even your father.
Arthur turned to the laptop.
Typed one word.
WILL.
The screen unlocked.
Hundreds of files appeared.
Accounts.
Names.
Videos.
Transfers.
Daniel stared.
Then smiled.
“At last.”
He reached for the computer.
Arthur ripped out the flash drive.
Daniel pulled a gun.
“You disappoint me.”
Arthur stared down the barrel.
“You kidnapped my son.”
“I built this family.”
“You destroyed it.”
Daniel cocked the weapon.
Then the lights went out.
Gunfire erupted in the hallway.
Daniel turned.
Arthur tackled him.
They crashed into the table.
The gun slid under a chair.
Daniel punched Arthur in the throat.
Arthur fell.
Daniel grabbed the flash drive and ran.
Arthur chased him into the hallway.
At the far end, Nolan appeared.
Daniel stopped.
Father and son stared at each other.
Nolan raised his gun.
Daniel smiled.
“You won’t do it.”
Nolan’s hand shook.
Daniel stepped closer.
“You never could.”
Nolan’s eyes filled with tears.
Then a child screamed from somewhere below them.
“DAD!”
Arthur turned.
“Leo!”
Daniel used the distraction to fire.
The bullet hit Nolan.
Nolan fell.
Daniel ran toward the basement stairs.
Arthur dropped beside his brother.
“Nolan!”
Blood spread across Nolan’s chest.
He grabbed Arthur’s shirt.
“Go.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“Go get your boy.”
Arthur’s eyes burned.
“Nolan—”
“Arthur.”
Nolan smiled weakly.
“For once in your life, stop doing what Dad tells you.”
Then he shoved Arthur toward the stairs.
“GO!”
Arthur ran.
Below him, Leo screamed again.
May you like
Then came a gunshot.
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