The voice came from behind me.
\n\u201cNathan.\u201d
\nI stopped breathing.
\nLucy was staring over my shoulder.
\nHer face had gone completely white.
\nMarcus slowly raised his weapon.
\nI turned.
\nThere was nobody there.
\nOnly darkness.
\nA long concrete tunnel.
\nA flickering emergency light at the far end.
\nAnd the body of the man who had been shot lying several feet away.
\nI looked at Marcus.
\n\u201cDid you hear that?\u201d
\nHe didn’t answer immediately.
\nThen he nodded.
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nLucy whispered,
\n\u201cIt was him.\u201d
\n\u201cWho?\u201d
\n\u201cMy father.\u201d
\nI looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father.\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin prickled.<\/p>\n
I stepped into the tunnel.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
I took another step.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad?\u201d<\/p>\n
The emergency light flickered.<\/p>\n
For a fraction of a second, I saw a silhouette at the end of the corridor.<\/p>\n
A man.<\/p>\n
Tall.<\/p>\n
Wearing the same dark work jacket my father had worn almost every day.<\/p>\n
I ran.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan!\u201d Marcus shouted.<\/p>\n
I didn’t stop.<\/p>\n
The silhouette turned the corner.<\/p>\n
I reached it.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
Only a door.<\/p>\n
I grabbed the handle.<\/p>\n
Locked.<\/p>\n
I hit it with my shoulder.<\/p>\n
Once.<\/p>\n
Twice.<\/p>\n
The door finally opened.<\/p>\n
Behind it was another passage.<\/p>\n
Empty.<\/p>\n
I looked down.<\/p>\n
There were footprints in the dust.<\/p>\n
Fresh ones.<\/p>\n
One pair.<\/p>\n
The footprints stopped beside the wall.<\/p>\n
Then disappeared.<\/p>\n
I stared at the ground.<\/p>\n
That was impossible.<\/p>\n
Marcus caught up with me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shouldn’t have chased him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho was it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou heard him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sounded exactly like my father.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked at the footprints.<\/p>\n
Then his face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He crouched.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
He touched the dust.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese aren’t footprints.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
He pointed.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at the pattern.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked closer.<\/p>\n
The marks weren’t from shoes.<\/p>\n
They were artificial.<\/p>\n
A thin rubber sole had been pressed into the dust.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone wanted us to think a person walked through here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo make you follow.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt my stomach tighten.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it was a trap.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho set it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone who knows what your father sounded like.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father recorded a lot of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn that cassette?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot just that.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered the box.<\/p>\n
The documents.<\/p>\n
The photographs.<\/p>\n
The letters.<\/p>\n
The recorder.<\/p>\n
The evidence.<\/p>\n
Someone had access to my father’s private recordings.<\/p>\n
Someone had been studying him.<\/p>\n
Someone wanted me to believe he was still alive.<\/p>\n
I turned toward Lucy.<\/p>\n
She was still sitting against the wall.<\/p>\n
I walked back to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
But she looked terrified.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLucy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore the voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
I crouched beside her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n
She whispered,<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone said my name.\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMale?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said, \u2018She remembers.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
She didn’t answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cLucy?\u201d<\/p>\n
She closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe night your father died.\u201d<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
She took a deep breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said that already.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn’t just outside the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you see?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father was alive when I arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout an hour before he died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was arguing with Theresa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout the trust?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was there.\u201d<\/p>\n
I clenched my fists.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy looked at Marcus.<\/p>\n
Then back at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour friend.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
I turned toward him.<\/p>\n
Marcus didn’t deny it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy were you there?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked at the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father asked me to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo help him leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave where?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe country.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he knew someone wanted him dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he tell you who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou’re lying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I were.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
He swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father gave me a package.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat package?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA small case.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho took it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Lucy.<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father told me to take you and Lucy away if anything happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt my throat tighten.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew about Lucy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore we got married?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause your father trusted her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe trusted me enough to ask me to protect you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome protection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn’t fail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were almost killed three times.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn’t know about those attempts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I stopped them.\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn’t trying to kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was trying to keep you alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why didn’t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the people watching you would have killed you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward the tunnel.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel can’t be everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn’t need to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus pulled out his phone.<\/p>\n
He opened a folder.<\/p>\n
Inside were photographs.<\/p>\n
Dozens of them.<\/p>\n
I saw myself in Canada.<\/p>\n
Leaving the factory.<\/p>\n
Entering my apartment.<\/p>\n
Buying groceries.<\/p>\n
Getting into my car.<\/p>\n
I stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour years.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou’ve been watching me for four years?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout telling me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew where I lived.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew when I worked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew when I came home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you never told me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus’s voice broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was trying to keep you alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the photographs again.<\/p>\n
Then I noticed something.<\/p>\n
One picture showed me standing outside my apartment.<\/p>\n
A man was visible across the street.<\/p>\n
I recognized him.<\/p>\n
Daniel.<\/p>\n
I looked at Marcus.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe followed you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo make sure you didn’t find the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the photograph.<\/p>\n
Then another thought hit me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Daniel was watching me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Lucy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho was watching you?\u201d<\/p>\n
She didn’t answer.<\/p>\n
I turned to Marcus.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know about the storage shed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
My chest tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn’t you help her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral times.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI sent money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI sent money through someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never received anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheresa intercepted it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
My mother had been blocking help from every direction.<\/p>\n
She had isolated Lucy completely.<\/p>\n
Then I remembered something.<\/p>\n
The hospital.<\/p>\n
The altered medication.<\/p>\n
The forged authorization.<\/p>\n
Theresa had access to Lucy’s records.<\/p>\n
Daniel had legal connections.<\/p>\n
Marcus had been watching me.<\/p>\n
But who was actually controlling the entire operation?<\/p>\n
I opened my father’s last letter.<\/p>\n
The line kept repeating in my head.<\/p>\n
The person who killed me was the person I trusted to protect you after I was gone.<\/strong><\/p>\n I looked at Marcus.<\/p>\n \u201cYou said my father trusted you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen maybe that sentence is about you.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus didn’t react.<\/p>\n I stepped closer.<\/p>\n \u201cDid my father leave you instructions?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat were they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo protect you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cAnswer me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe told me that if you ever came home\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was supposed to take you to him.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cTo who?\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cYour grandfather.\u201d<\/p>\n I laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cMy grandfather is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n I stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour grandfather isn’t dead.\u201d<\/p>\n Lucy closed her eyes.<\/p>\n I turned toward her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI found out recently.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour father told me.\u201d<\/p>\n I couldn’t breathe.<\/p>\n \u201cMy grandfather is alive?\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he has been living under another name for twenty years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause he was hiding from the people who wanted the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus answered quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus opened his phone.<\/p>\n He showed me a photograph.<\/p>\n An old man sitting outside a small house.<\/p>\n The image was blurry.<\/p>\n But the face\u2026<\/p>\n I knew it.<\/p>\n Even after all these years.<\/p>\n My grandfather.<\/p>\n Alive.<\/p>\n Older.<\/p>\n But unmistakable.<\/p>\n I touched the screen.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is he?\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus didn’t answer.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThree hours from here.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Lucy.<\/p>\n She was crying.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn’t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause your grandfather doesn’t trust you yet.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus looked away.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause he believes you may be working with them.\u201d<\/p>\n I laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe doesn’t know what you’ve been through.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen we find him.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can’t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause Daniel knows where he is.\u201d<\/p>\n My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if we go there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey’ll follow us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen we don’t go there.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus looked confused.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere do we go?\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the box.<\/p>\n Then at the photograph.<\/p>\n Then at Lucy.<\/p>\n \u201cWe find Daniel first.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus stared at me.<\/p>\n \u201cThat could get you killed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI’ve already been trying to survive someone else’s plan.\u201d<\/p>\n I stood.<\/p>\n \u201cNow I’m going to make my own.\u201d<\/p>\n We left the maintenance tunnel through an old service entrance.<\/p>\n The street was quiet.<\/p>\n Too quiet.<\/p>\n Marcus checked both directions.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Lucy.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can walk?\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI can.\u201d<\/p>\n We moved toward the car.<\/p>\n Then Marcus stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n He pointed.<\/p>\n A small black device was attached underneath the vehicle.<\/p>\n \u201cA tracker.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at it.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long has that been there?\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus examined it.<\/p>\n \u201cSince the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTheresa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the device.<\/p>\n Then I smiled.<\/p>\n Marcus frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe let them track us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n I took out my phone.<\/p>\n \u201cWe give them what they want.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus understood.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’re going to lead them somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomewhere they can’t control.\u201d<\/p>\n I called my attorney.<\/p>\n He answered immediately.<\/p>\n \u201cNathan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI need a favor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI need you to make a public filing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe trust.\u201d<\/p>\n He went silent.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat will alert everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s the point.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat exactly should I file?\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Lucy.<\/p>\n Then at Marcus.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything.\u201d<\/p>\n My attorney inhaled.<\/p>\n \u201cNathan, if we release those documents\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n I smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cJust make them believe we’re going to.\u201d<\/p>\n There was silence.<\/p>\n Then he understood.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to force them out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI’ll prepare it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMake it look like it goes public tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n I ended the call.<\/p>\n Marcus looked impressed.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo are they.\u201d<\/p>\n We got into the car.<\/p>\n This time Marcus drove.<\/p>\n He intentionally left the tracker active.<\/p>\n We headed toward the city.<\/p>\n Twenty minutes later, a black sedan appeared behind us.<\/p>\n Then another.<\/p>\n Marcus checked the mirror.<\/p>\n \u201cThey took the bait.\u201d<\/p>\n I smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n We drove toward an abandoned warehouse near the river.<\/p>\n The place had been closed for years.<\/p>\n Marcus parked inside.<\/p>\n We got out.<\/p>\n Then he removed the tracker from the car.<\/p>\n He placed it on a different vehicle.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSending them somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n We watched as the vehicle drove away.<\/p>\n The black sedan followed.<\/p>\n Then the second car.<\/p>\n Marcus looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cThey’ll realize in five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen we have five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo do what?\u201d<\/p>\n I opened my father’s box.<\/p>\n I took out the documents.<\/p>\n \u201cWe find the name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe person who controls Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n I spread the papers across an old wooden table.<\/p>\n Bank records.<\/p>\n Trust documents.<\/p>\n Property transfers.<\/p>\n Corporate registrations.<\/p>\n Photographs.<\/p>\n Names.<\/p>\n Numbers.<\/p>\n Dates.<\/p>\n I noticed a repeated code.<\/p>\n A six-digit number appeared on several documents.<\/p>\n I pointed.<\/p>\n \u201cThis.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus looked.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was your father’s account number.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n I shook my head.<\/p>\n \u201cLook closer.\u201d<\/p>\n He leaned in.<\/p>\n \u201cIt appears beside every major transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n I grabbed another document.<\/p>\n The same number.<\/p>\n Another.<\/p>\n Again.<\/p>\n It wasn’t an account number.<\/p>\n It was an identifier.<\/p>\n A private trust code.<\/p>\n I searched the paperwork.<\/p>\n Then I found a name.<\/p>\n Northstar Holdings.<\/strong><\/p>\n Marcus’s expression changed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNorthstar isn’t a company.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA network.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWho owns it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one knows.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone does.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cYour father spent years trying to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the documents again.<\/p>\n Then I noticed something handwritten in the margin.<\/p>\n A single word.<\/p>\n MORROW.<\/strong><\/p>\n I frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus went pale.<\/p>\n \u201cMorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s the name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhose name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe person who controls Northstar.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cYour grandfather.\u201d<\/p>\n I froze.<\/p>\n My grandfather.<\/p>\n The man everyone told me had died.<\/p>\n The man supposedly hiding from Daniel.<\/p>\n The man who had created the trust.<\/p>\n The man whose lawyer was apparently still alive.<\/p>\n The man whose network controlled millions.<\/p>\n I stared at the word.<\/p>\n \u201cMorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n Then I noticed something else.<\/p>\n A second handwritten note.<\/p>\n Morrow isn’t his name.<\/strong><\/p>\n I looked at Marcus.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n He took the paper.<\/p>\n His eyes widened.<\/p>\n \u201cThere’s another word underneath.\u201d<\/p>\n I leaned closer.<\/p>\n Someone had written over the original word.<\/p>\n I could barely make it out.<\/p>\n Carter.<\/strong><\/p>\n I stepped backward.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cYour grandfather didn’t use Morrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen who did?\u201d<\/p>\n He pointed at the page.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone named Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared.<\/p>\n \u201cCarter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy family name.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that means\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n I didn’t finish.<\/p>\n He did.<\/p>\n \u201cNorthstar may have been controlled by your family from the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Lucy.<\/p>\n She was staring at the documents.<\/p>\n Then she whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cThere’s one thing you’re missing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n She pointed to the back of the box.<\/p>\n I opened the hidden compartment.<\/p>\n Inside was a small USB drive.<\/p>\n I picked it up.<\/p>\n There was a label.<\/p>\n FOR NATHAN. DO NOT TRUST ANYONE.<\/strong><\/p>\n Marcus looked at it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n We found an old laptop in the warehouse.<\/p>\n Marcus connected the drive.<\/p>\n One folder appeared.<\/p>\n Only one.<\/p>\n I opened it.<\/p>\n There were seven video files.<\/p>\n I clicked the first.<\/p>\n The screen went black.<\/p>\n Then my father’s face appeared.<\/p>\n He was sitting in the workshop.<\/p>\n Alive.<\/p>\n He looked directly into the camera.<\/p>\n \u201cNathan.\u201d<\/p>\n My hands went cold.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you’re watching this, then I’m already gone.\u201d<\/p>\n He paused.<\/p>\n \u201cBut before you believe everything you’ve been told, listen carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n He leaned closer.<\/p>\n \u201cYour mother is not the only person who betrayed me.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Lucy.<\/p>\n My father continued.<\/p>\n \u201cThe person you call your best friend is not who you think he is.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus stepped backward.<\/p>\n I turned toward him.<\/p>\n My father’s voice continued.<\/p>\n \u201cMarcus has been working for me.\u201d<\/p>\n I froze.<\/p>\n Marcus closed his eyes.<\/p>\n My father continued.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I never told him everything.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Marcus.<\/p>\n He said nothing.<\/p>\n Then my father spoke the words that made the entire room go silent.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause Marcus was the only person I believed could betray me without realizing he was doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n The video ended.<\/p>\n I stared at the black screen.<\/p>\n Marcus looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI can explain.\u201d<\/p>\n I shook my head.<\/p>\n \u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Another video file waited.<\/p>\n I clicked it.<\/p>\n The screen showed my father again.<\/p>\n This time, he looked frightened.<\/p>\n \u201cNathan, if Marcus is with you when you watch this\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He paused.<\/p>\n \u201cThen he has probably brought you to the box.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus’s face went pale.<\/p>\n My father’s voice continued.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s good.\u201d<\/p>\n I frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause the box isn’t the evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the metal box.<\/p>\n My father leaned toward the camera.<\/p>\n \u201cThe box is the test.\u201d<\/p>\n I stopped breathing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe real evidence is already inside your house.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared.<\/p>\n \u201cMy house?\u201d<\/p>\n My father nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cThe house you think your mother remodeled with your money.\u201d<\/p>\n A pause.<\/p>\n \u201cLook beneath the new floor.\u201d<\/p>\n The video ended.<\/p>\n I looked at Marcus.<\/p>\n Then Lucy.<\/p>\n Then the warehouse door.<\/p>\n Someone outside shouted.<\/p>\n \u201cThey’re here!\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus grabbed his weapon.<\/p>\n I closed the laptop.<\/p>\n We had seconds.<\/p>\n I grabbed the box.<\/p>\n Lucy stood.<\/p>\n Marcus pointed toward the rear exit.<\/p>\n \u201cMove!\u201d<\/p>\n We ran.<\/p>\n Behind us, the warehouse doors exploded inward.<\/p>\n Men rushed inside.<\/p>\n We escaped through a side passage.<\/p>\n We ran toward the river.<\/p>\n Then I stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus turned.<\/p>\n I looked at Lucy.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to go home.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus stared at me.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s exactly where they expect you to go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why?\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause my father hid the real evidence beneath the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus understood.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd your mother is still living there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Lucy whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cShe’ll know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n We got into the car.<\/p>\n Marcus started the engine.<\/p>\n As we drove away, my phone vibrated.<\/p>\n A message.<\/p>\n Unknown number.<\/p>\n You finally found the right house.<\/strong><\/p>\n Another.<\/p>\n But you still don’t know which floor.<\/strong><\/p>\n Then a final message.<\/p>\n Ask Theresa what she buried beneath Lucy’s room.<\/strong><\/p>\n I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n Lucy read the message.<\/p>\n Her face went white.<\/p>\n \u201cNathan\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy room.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n She whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cBefore I got sick\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a locked section under the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared.<\/p>\n \u201cWho locked it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy mother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n Lucy shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Marcus.<\/p>\n He was driving faster.<\/p>\n Then I saw the house in the distance.<\/p>\n The same house I had walked away from hours earlier.<\/p>\n The same house where my mother had watched Lucy suffer.<\/p>\n The same house built with four years of my money.<\/p>\n And now I knew something was hidden beneath it.<\/p>\n Something my father had been trying to protect.<\/p>\n Something my mother had been trying to bury.<\/p>\n Something Daniel was willing to kill for.<\/p>\n As we approached, I saw the front door standing open.<\/p>\n The lights were on.<\/p>\n No cars outside.<\/p>\n No people.<\/p>\n No movement.<\/p>\n Marcus slowed.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cToo quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the house.<\/p>\n Then at Lucy.<\/p>\n We stepped out.<\/p>\n The front door creaked in the wind.<\/p>\n I entered first.<\/p>\n The living room was empty.<\/p>\n The expensive furniture was still there.<\/p>\n The giant television.<\/p>\n The polished floors.<\/p>\n The photographs.<\/p>\n Everything looked normal.<\/p>\n Too normal.<\/p>\n Then I heard a sound from upstairs.<\/p>\n A single floorboard creaked.<\/p>\n Marcus raised his weapon.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone’s here.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked toward the staircase.<\/p>\n Lucy whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cMy room.\u201d<\/p>\n We climbed.<\/p>\n One step at a time.<\/p>\n At the top, the hallway was dark.<\/p>\n My old bedroom was on the left.<\/p>\n Brianna’s room on the right.<\/p>\n Lucy’s room at the end.<\/p>\n The door was open.<\/p>\n I pushed it.<\/p>\n The room was empty.<\/p>\n Except for one thing.<\/p>\n A chair sat in the middle.<\/p>\n On the chair was a photograph.<\/p>\n I picked it up.<\/p>\n It showed Lucy.<\/p>\n Pregnant.<\/p>\n I froze.<\/p>\n Lucy stared at the photograph.<\/p>\n \u201cI was never pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn’t have children after the treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n I turned the photograph over.<\/p>\n A date was written on the back.<\/p>\n Eleven years ago.<\/p>\n Before I married Lucy.<\/p>\n Before Canada.<\/p>\n Before everything.<\/p>\n And beneath the date was one sentence.<\/p>\n Ask Nathan where his first child went.<\/strong><\/p>\n My blood turned cold.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat child?\u201d<\/p>\n Lucy looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n Then we heard a sound beneath our feet.<\/p>\n Three knocks.<\/p>\n From under the floor.<\/p>\n Knock.<\/p>\n Knock.<\/p>\n Knock.<\/p>\n We all froze.<\/p>\n Marcus whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone’s down there.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the floor.<\/p>\n The new polished wood.<\/p>\n The floor my money had paid for.<\/p>\n The floor my father had told me to search.<\/p>\n I knelt.<\/p>\n There was a small seam.<\/p>\n I pressed it.<\/p>\n A hidden panel opened.<\/p>\n Cold air rose from beneath.<\/p>\n And from the darkness below, a voice whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cNathan\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n I recognized it.<\/p>\n It was my father’s voice again.<\/p>\n But this time there was no recording.<\/p>\n Someone was alive down there.<\/p>\n I looked at Lucy.<\/p>\n She grabbed my arm.<\/p>\n \u201cDon’t go down.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared into the darkness.<\/p>\n Then a hand appeared on the ladder.<\/p>\n An old hand.<\/p>\n Shaking.<\/p>\n Scarred.<\/p>\n Familiar.<\/p>\n A man slowly climbed into the room.<\/p>\n I stepped backward.<\/p>\n My heart stopped.<\/p>\n Because the face that appeared above the floor belonged to the one person I had spent my entire life believing was dead.<\/p>\n My grandfather looked at me.<\/p>\n And the first thing he said was:<\/p>\n \u201cYour mother has lied to you about everything.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at Lucy.<\/p>\n Then at Marcus.<\/p>\n Then back at me.<\/p>\n \u201cBut she’s not the person you should be afraid of.\u201d<\/p>\n He reached into his coat.<\/p>\n Pulled out a photograph.<\/p>\n And handed it to me.<\/p>\n I looked down.<\/p>\n It was a photograph of me as a child.<\/p>\n Standing beside my father.<\/p>\n Standing beside my mother.<\/p>\n And standing beside another little boy.<\/p>\n A boy who looked almost exactly like me.<\/p>\n On the back of the photograph were five words.<\/p>\n Your brother is still alive.<\/strong><\/p>\n I looked at my grandfather.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat brother?\u201d<\/p>\n He didn’t answer.<\/p>\n Instead, he looked toward the bedroom door.<\/p>\n Then whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cHe’s the one who has been hunting you.\u201d<\/p>\n The lights suddenly went out.<\/p>\n A gunshot exploded downstairs.<\/p>\n And my grandfather shouted:<\/p>\n \u201cRUN!\u201d<\/p>\n PART 7 The voice came from behind me. \u201cNathan.\u201d I stopped breathing. Lucy was staring over my shoulder. Her face had gone completely white. Marcus slowly raised his weapon. I … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4595"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4602,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4595\/revisions\/4602"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Click Here to continuous Read\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b Full Ending Story\ud83d\udc49PART(8): “I Came Home Early And Found Out Where Four Years Of My Money Went…<\/a><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"