Chapter 8 - Lucas Runs
Lucas disappeared again the next morning.
This time he left on his own.
The alarm had not been triggered because he never crossed the outer fence.
Natalie found Arthur missing from his bed.
His small backpack was gone.
So were crackers from the pantry.
Daniel's face turned white.
“He heard us.”
Natalie remembered the shadow beneath the office door.
“Last night.”
They searched the house.
Nothing.
The grounds.
Nothing.
Then Natalie remembered something.
The red door.
She found Lucas inside Caroline's bedroom.
He sat on the floor beneath his mother's photograph.
His backpack rested beside him.
“What are you doing?”
Lucas did not look up.
“Going away.”
Natalie sat beside him.
“Why?”
“So Daddy doesn't die.”
Her heart broke.
“Who told you he would?”
“You.”
“No.”
“You said he has to survive.”
Natalie closed her eyes briefly.
Adults forgot how literally children listened.
“Lucas, look at me.”
He did.
“Your dad is trying to protect you.”
“He always gets hurt because of me.”
“No.”
“Mara left because of me.”
“No.”
“The guard came because of me.”
“No.”
“Mommy died because—”
“Stop.”
The word was gentle but firm.
“That one is absolutely not true.”
Lucas began crying.
“I heard Daddy.”
Natalie drew him closer.
“Your father feels guilty.”
“That means he did it.”
“No.”
“It means he wishes he could change the past.”
Lucas wiped his face.
“Can he?”
“No.”
“Then why does he keep talking about it?”
Natalie almost smiled sadly.
“Because grown-ups sometimes think hurting themselves will make something unfair feel fair.”
Lucas considered that.
“That's stupid.”
“Yes.”
Natalie nodded.
“It often is.”
Daniel appeared in the doorway.
He had heard enough.
Lucas looked at him.
“Did Mommy die because of me?”
Daniel's face collapsed.
He crossed the room and knelt.
“No.”
“Promise?”
Daniel took his son's small hand.
“Your mother loved you more than anything in this world.”
Tears filled his eyes.
“She was trying to protect you.”
Lucas looked at Caroline's photograph.
“From you?”
Daniel did not lie.
“From my life.”
Natalie watched him struggle.
“I made choices that brought dangerous people close to us.”
Daniel swallowed.
“But you were never the reason your mother died.”
Lucas whispered.
“Are you bad?”
The question would have enraged most powerful men.
Daniel only looked tired.
“I've done bad things.”
Lucas's eyes widened.
“Are you going to jail?”
Natalie held her breath.
Daniel answered slowly.
“I don't know.”
It was the first time Natalie realized his plans had changed.
He was not simply going to destroy Adrian.
He was considering destroying the entire life that had created Adrian.
Later that day, Daniel met with a federal attorney.
Secretly.
Caroline's evidence gave prosecutors enough to dismantle a criminal network that extended beyond Adrian.
It also implicated Daniel.
Not in Caroline's death.
But in financial crimes.
Protection schemes.
Illegal operations.
Daniel could cooperate.
He could turn over records.
He could testify.
He could lose businesses.
Money.
Freedom.
Adrian somehow learned about the meeting before sunset.
At 8:17 that night, Daniel received a photograph.
Lucas sleeping.
The photograph had been taken through his bedroom window.
Under it was one sentence.
If you talk, next time I won't miss.
May you like
Daniel looked toward Natalie.
The war was no longer hidden.
