Chapter 12 - The Night the Lights Went Out
The mansion fell into darkness.
For one second, nobody moved.
Then the emergency lighting activated along the hallway.
Tomas reacted first.
"Stay away from the windows."
Santiago reached for his phone.
The signal was gone.
"Jammer," Tomas said.
Ruby immediately took Sophia's hand.
The young woman was shaking, but her eyes remained focused.
"Follow me," Ruby signed.
They moved into the adjoining library.
Santiago tried the house intercom.
Dead.
A muffled crash sounded downstairs.
Then footsteps.
Multiple people.
Santiago looked at Tomas.
"How many?"
"At least four."
"Your security team?"
"Could be compromised."
Santiago felt anger rise.
Not the clean anger of a man facing an enemy.
The uglier anger of realizing that his family had been placed in danger by systems he himself had built.
Ruby pulled a heavy desk against the library door.
"What are you doing?" Santiago asked.
"Buying time."
"There are armed men downstairs."
"Then arguing with me is a poor use of it."
Sophia was already moving toward a narrow panel beside the bookshelves.
She touched a concealed latch.
The shelving shifted.
Santiago stared.
A passage opened.
He hadn't known it existed.
Sophia signed:
Mom showed me.
Ruby nodded.
They entered the passage.
Tomas followed last.
The narrow corridor smelled of dust.
An old service staircase descended toward the estate's rear gardens.
Sophia led confidently, navigating a route she had apparently memorized as a child.
At the bottom, they emerged inside an unused laundry room.
Through the small window, Santiago could see the greenhouse.
Beyond it lay the wooded grounds.
"There's an access road behind the gardens," Tomas whispered.
"If we reach it, Ward's officers may be able to meet us."
Ruby checked her phone.
One bar.
She sent Elena a short message with their location.
Then she looked at Santiago.
"Is there anyone outside the estate you trust?"
He hesitated.
Three days earlier, he would have named dozens.
Now he could think of very few.
"Elena Ward," he said.
Ruby looked surprised.
"You trust her?"
"No."
He paused.
"But I trust that she wants the evidence more than she wants my approval."
Ruby nodded.
It was a better answer than she expected.
They crossed the laundry room.
Then a voice came through the darkness.
"Going somewhere?"
Julian Vale stood near the rear entrance.
Two armed men were beside him.
He looked perfectly composed.
His silver hair was neatly combed.
His coat was dry.
He could have been arriving for a business meeting.
"Julian," Santiago said.
The older man smiled.
"Son."
"Don't call me that."
Julian sighed.
"After everything I've done for you?"
"You killed my parents."
Julian's expression didn't change.
"Your parents were sentimental fools."
Sophia stepped backward.
Ruby moved in front of her.
Julian noticed.
"Dr. Brennan."
Ruby stared.
"I wondered how long it would take you to cause trouble."
"You knew who I was."
"Of course."
"From the beginning?"
Julian smiled.
"I approved your hiring."
Ruby felt cold.
Santiago turned sharply.
"You hired her?"
"Indirectly."
"Why?"
Julian regarded Ruby with mild curiosity.
"I wanted to see whether grief had made her harmless."
Ruby's voice shook.
"You knew your men killed my family."
Julian shrugged.
"Your husband became involved in matters beyond his understanding."
"And my daughter?"
For the first time, Julian looked faintly impatient.
"An unfortunate complication."
Ruby's body went rigid.
Santiago took a step forward.
"Say another word about her."
Julian's men shifted their weapons.
Ruby grabbed Santiago's sleeve.
"No."
Julian chuckled.
"Still thinking like your father, Santiago. Emotional. Predictable."
He glanced at Tomas.
"And you. I expected better."
Tomas stared at him.
"You told me Lorenzo wanted that meeting."
"He did."
"You lied about why."
Julian tilted his head.
"Does the distinction help you sleep?"
Tomas lowered his eyes.
Julian turned toward Sophia.
"Come here, sweetheart."
She didn't move.
"Don't make this difficult."
Sophia's fingers trembled.
Ruby signed discreetly:
You do not have to obey.
Julian noticed the movement.
His smile disappeared.
"Stop that."
Ruby continued signing.
You are not alone.
Julian's voice rose.
"I said stop."
For seven years, Sophia had associated that voice with death.
For seven years, she had obeyed every command.
Now she stepped forward.
She looked directly at Julian.
And signed a single sentence.
Ruby translated aloud.
"She says you don't own her anymore."
Julian's expression turned ugly.
He gestured toward his men.
"Take the girl."
Tomas moved.
Not toward Sophia.
Toward Julian.
He knocked the nearest weapon aside, creating just enough confusion for Santiago to pull Sophia and Ruby behind a concrete support column.
A deafening shot echoed through the laundry room.
Tomas fell.
Santiago turned.
His oldest friend was on the floor.
Conscious.
Bleeding from the shoulder.
Julian backed toward the rear door as another man shouted for him to move.
A moment later, sirens sounded beyond the property.
Elena's message had reached the emergency response team.
Julian fled into the darkness.
But before leaving, he looked back at Santiago.
"Your mother kept copies, son."
Santiago stared.
Julian smiled.
May you like
"And I know exactly where the last one is."
Then the door slammed.
