Chapter 4 - THE PEOPLE YOU TRUST
Daniel stepped in front of his son.
“Mason.”
“Move.”
Daniel almost smiled.
“You’ve worked for me eight years.”
Mason’s gun didn’t move.
“I work for whoever pays me.”
“I pay you.”
“Not enough.”
Hannah pushed Noah behind her.
Daniel studied Mason’s face.
“How much?”
“Enough to forget what I saw.”
“What did you see?”
Mason glanced at Noah.
“That kid being moved through this house at two in the morning.”
Daniel’s stomach turned.
“You knew?”
“I knew there was a kid.”
“You went to his funeral.”
Mason said nothing.
Daniel’s voice cracked.
“You stood next to me while I buried an empty coffin.”
Mason’s eyes hardened.
“Move.”
Daniel took one step forward.
“You’re going to shoot me?”
“If I have to.”
“You won’t make it out of here.”
“Power’s down. Cameras are down. Half the guests are running for the front gate.”
He smiled without humor.
“Tonight’s pretty messy.”
Behind Daniel, Hannah whispered, “Noah, close your eyes.”
Mason looked at her.
“What?”
Hannah threw her flashlight.
Mason flinched.
Daniel charged.
The gun fired.
The blast inside the stone passage was deafening.
The bullet struck the ceiling.
Daniel slammed Mason into the wall.
They fought for the weapon.
Mason drove his knee into Daniel’s stomach.
Daniel dropped.
Mason raised the gun.
Then Noah bit him.
Hard.
Mason screamed.
Hannah kicked the gun away.
Daniel tackled him again.
His fist connected with Mason’s jaw.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Mason collapsed.
Daniel stood over him, shaking with rage.
Noah touched his arm.
“Dad.”
Daniel stopped.
His son was watching him.
Scared.
Daniel backed away.
Hannah picked up the gun.
“Come on.”
Daniel searched Mason’s pockets.
He found two phones.
One contained dozens of messages from a contact saved only as C.
GET THE BOY.
DESTROY THE RECORDER.
IF DANIEL RESISTS, CONTAIN HIM.
Daniel showed Hannah.
“Contain me?”
“She was planning for this.”
A new message appeared.
POLICE ARE THREE MINUTES OUT.
Mason smiled through bloody teeth.
Daniel looked at him.
“What’s funny?”
Mason spit onto the floor.
“You still think the police coming here helps you?”
Daniel’s expression changed.
Mason laughed.
“Celeste owns people you don’t even know exist.”
Hannah pushed open the service door.
They emerged near the west ballroom.
Most guests had fled.
The damaged wall stood open like a wound.
Daniel carried Noah back toward the hidden room.
Inside, there was a mattress.
A bucket.
Plastic water bottles.
Children’s books.
Medical restraints.
Daniel had to look away.
Hannah found a metal lockbox behind the mattress.
Noah handed Daniel the key.
It fit.
Inside were hospital documents.
A second passport bearing Noah’s photograph under another name.
Vials of sedatives.
And a sealed folder marked:
EVELYN MERCER — FINAL DISPOSITION.
Daniel opened it.
His face drained.
Hannah whispered, “What is it?”
Daniel handed her the first page.
It was a toxicology report.
Evelyn Mercer had not died from the car crash.
According to the report, she had been poisoned before her car ever left the road.
Then a voice spoke behind them.
“Put the file down, Daniel.”
May you like
Celeste stood in the broken wall opening.
And in her hand was a gun.
