{"id":5831,"date":"2026-09-17T20:24:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T20:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/?p=5831"},"modified":"2026-09-17T20:24:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T20:24:11","slug":"part-2-my-older-brother-drove-down-to-help-me-move-but-he-arrived","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/?p=5831","title":{"rendered":"PART 2: – “My Older Brother Drove Down to Help Me Move, But He Arrived” \u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

PART 3 \u2014 THE MAN DEREK THOUGHT HE COULD BREAK<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Derek shot forward, his massive hand reaching aggressively for my brother\u2019s neck.
\nI stopped breathing.
\nFor half a second, all I could see was Derek\u2019s size.
\nTwo hundred and ten pounds.
\nA second-degree black belt.
\nYears of grappling experience.
\nAnd Cole\u2014
\nmy quiet, lean older brother standing in front of him wearing nothing but gray shorts and a black rash guard.
\nDerek had the advantage in weight.
\nHe had the advantage in familiarity with the gym.
\nHe had the advantage of everyone watching him.
\nWhat Derek didn\u2019t have was an understanding of who he had just decided to fight.
\nHis hand closed around Cole\u2019s shoulder.
\nOr at least, he thought it did.
\nCole moved.
\nNot backward.
\nNot sideways.
\nForward.
\nIt happened so quickly that my brain couldn’t process it.
\nOne second Derek was charging.
\nThe next, Derek was stumbling past him.
\nCole had barely seemed to touch him.
\nThe room went silent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Derek turned around.<\/p>\n

His face had changed.<\/p>\n

The confidence was still there, but something underneath it had cracked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell was that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole didn’t answer.<\/p>\n

He simply raised his hands.<\/p>\n

Relaxed.<\/p>\n

Open.<\/p>\n

Waiting.<\/p>\n

Derek laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cLucky.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole said nothing.<\/p>\n

Derek rushed again.<\/p>\n

This time he went lower.<\/p>\n

He wanted Cole\u2019s legs.<\/p>\n

I recognized the movement from hundreds of hours of watching people train.<\/p>\n

Double-leg takedown.<\/p>\n

Derek had used it on me dozens of times.<\/p>\n

Against someone smaller, it was devastating.<\/p>\n

But Cole waited until the last possible second.<\/p>\n

Then he stepped aside.<\/p>\n

Derek\u2019s shoulder passed inches from Cole\u2019s hip.<\/p>\n

Cole hooked an arm around Derek\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

There was a brief twist.<\/p>\n

A shift of balance.<\/p>\n

And suddenly Derek was on the mat.<\/p>\n

Hard.<\/p>\n

The impact echoed through the gym.<\/p>\n

Everyone froze.<\/p>\n

Derek immediately rolled.<\/p>\n

Cole didn’t chase him.<\/p>\n

He simply stood.<\/p>\n

Derek pushed himself onto one knee.<\/p>\n

His face was red.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole finally answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone who told you to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Derek\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think this is funny?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole\u2019s voice was so calm that it somehow made Derek angrier.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you need to walk away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Derek stood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t walk away from anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole looked at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few students exchanged nervous glances.<\/p>\n

Someone near the lockers whispered,<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek, just stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Derek heard him.<\/p>\n

His head snapped toward the voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cShut up.\u201d<\/p>\n

The student immediately looked down.<\/p>\n

That was when something inside me finally changed.<\/p>\n

For months, I had watched people do that.<\/p>\n

Look down.<\/p>\n

Stay quiet.<\/p>\n

Pretend.<\/p>\n

Not because they agreed with Derek.<\/p>\n

Because they were afraid of becoming his next target.<\/p>\n

But now I was watching my brother stand in front of him without an ounce of fear.<\/p>\n

And suddenly Derek didn’t look powerful anymore.<\/p>\n

He looked desperate.<\/p>\n

Desperate people make mistakes.<\/p>\n

Derek made his.<\/p>\n

He charged a third time.<\/p>\n

This time he swung.<\/p>\n

Not a grappling attempt.<\/p>\n

A punch.<\/p>\n

Someone screamed.<\/p>\n

Cole slipped underneath it.<\/p>\n

His hand caught Derek\u2019s wrist.<\/p>\n

His other hand controlled Derek\u2019s elbow.<\/p>\n

Then Cole turned.<\/p>\n

Derek’s body followed the movement whether he wanted it to or not.<\/p>\n

His knees hit the mat.<\/p>\n

Cole controlled him without striking him.<\/p>\n

No dramatic punches.<\/p>\n

No screaming.<\/p>\n

No celebration.<\/p>\n

Just complete control.<\/p>\n

Derek tried to muscle his way free.<\/p>\n

Nothing happened.<\/p>\n

He tried again.<\/p>\n

Still nothing.<\/p>\n

Cole leaned closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Derek snarled.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet off me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTap.\u201d<\/p>\n

Derek froze.<\/p>\n

Cole didn’t apply a submission.<\/p>\n

He didn’t hurt him.<\/p>\n

He simply waited.<\/p>\n

\u201cTap,\u201d Cole repeated.<\/p>\n

Derek looked around.<\/p>\n

Twenty people were watching.<\/p>\n

His students.<\/p>\n

His friends.<\/p>\n

The people who had laughed with him.<\/p>\n

The people who had watched him hurt smaller opponents.<\/p>\n

And now they were watching him trapped beneath someone who hadn’t even broken a sweat.<\/p>\n

Derek refused.<\/p>\n

Cole released him.<\/p>\n

Derek immediately scrambled backward.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole stood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t need you to tap.\u201d<\/p>\n

Derek stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need you to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

The entire room was silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had a choice when Sarah tapped.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole pointed toward me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou chose not to let go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Derek\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was training.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole’s voice became colder.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was assault.\u201d<\/p>\n

The word seemed to hit harder than any punch.<\/p>\n

Derek looked toward the gym owner.<\/p>\n

\u201cMartin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone turned.<\/p>\n

Martin had been standing near the office doorway.<\/p>\n

He hadn’t said a word.<\/p>\n

He hadn’t stopped Derek.<\/p>\n

He hadn’t helped me.<\/p>\n

He hadn’t even looked at me after I woke up.<\/p>\n

Now Derek pointed at Cole.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell this guy to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin didn’t move.<\/p>\n

\u201cMartin!\u201d<\/p>\n

Still nothing.<\/p>\n

Cole looked at him.<\/p>\n

And for the first time, I noticed something strange.<\/p>\n

Martin wasn’t angry.<\/p>\n

He was afraid.<\/p>\n

Not of Derek.<\/p>\n

Of something else.<\/p>\n

Cole noticed it too.<\/p>\n

His eyes moved from Martin\u2014<\/p>\n

to the office\u2014<\/p>\n

to the small security camera mounted above the entrance.<\/p>\n

Then back to Martin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you hiding?\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin’s face went pale.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole smiled slightly.<\/p>\n

Not because he believed him.<\/p>\n

Because he didn’t.<\/p>\n

Derek suddenly stood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m done.\u201d<\/p>\n

He grabbed his gym bag.<\/p>\n

Nobody stopped him.<\/p>\n

He walked toward the exit.<\/p>\n

Then he stopped.<\/p>\n

He turned toward me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou caused all this.\u201d<\/p>\n

My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should’ve stayed quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole stepped between us.<\/p>\n

Derek stared at him.<\/p>\n

Then he smiled.<\/p>\n

It was a different smile.<\/p>\n

Not the arrogant one from before.<\/p>\n

Something darker.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou really don’t know what you walked into.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole’s expression didn’t change.<\/p>\n

\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Derek shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsk Martin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then he walked out.<\/p>\n

The front door slammed.<\/p>\n

Nobody moved.<\/p>\n

For several seconds, the only sound was the hum of the fluorescent lights.<\/p>\n

I looked at Martin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did he mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin wouldn’t look at me.<\/p>\n

Cole walked toward him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m asking one more time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin swallowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole stopped inches away.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re lying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re terrified.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin\u2019s eyes flicked toward the office.<\/p>\n

Cole followed his gaze.<\/p>\n

Then he walked toward the door.<\/p>\n

Martin stepped in front of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon’t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin said nothing.<\/p>\n

Cole looked at me.<\/p>\n

Then back at Martin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat’s in that office?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

I almost laughed.<\/p>\n

After everything that had happened, it was the worst answer he could have given.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen move.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin didn’t.<\/p>\n

Cole reached for the door.<\/p>\n

Martin grabbed his arm.<\/p>\n

That was a mistake.<\/p>\n

Cole looked down at the hand.<\/p>\n

Then slowly looked back at Martin.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake your hand off me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin did.<\/p>\n

Immediately.<\/p>\n

Cole opened the office door.<\/p>\n

Inside was a normal gym office.<\/p>\n

Desk.<\/p>\n

Computer.<\/p>\n

Printer.<\/p>\n

A filing cabinet.<\/p>\n

Trophies.<\/p>\n

A framed photograph of Martin shaking hands with a local attorney.<\/p>\n

Nothing unusual.<\/p>\n

Then Cole noticed the floor.<\/p>\n

One section near the filing cabinet had fresh scratches.<\/p>\n

He crouched.<\/p>\n

Ran his fingers over them.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething was moved.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin said nothing.<\/p>\n

Cole pushed the cabinet.<\/p>\n

It moved.<\/p>\n

Behind it was a narrow gray metal door.<\/p>\n

My heart stopped.<\/p>\n

I’d been inside that office dozens of times.<\/p>\n

I’d never seen it.<\/p>\n

Cole stood.<\/p>\n

\u201cKey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKey.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t have it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole looked at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we’re going to find someone who does.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin suddenly grabbed his phone.<\/p>\n

Cole reacted instantly.<\/p>\n

He knocked the phone from Martin\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

It hit the floor.<\/p>\n

The screen cracked.<\/p>\n

Martin stared at it.<\/p>\n

Then at Cole.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don’t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole’s voice was quiet.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen explain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin looked toward me.<\/p>\n

And something in his expression made my skin crawl.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause this isn’t about Derek.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole’s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin didn’t answer.<\/p>\n

Then we heard a sound.<\/p>\n

From behind the gray door.<\/p>\n

Three knocks.<\/p>\n

Everyone froze.<\/p>\n

Knock.<\/p>\n

Knock.<\/p>\n

Knock.<\/p>\n

Maria whispered,<\/p>\n

\u201cWas that…?\u201d<\/p>\n

Another three knocks.<\/p>\n

Knock.<\/p>\n

Knock.<\/p>\n

Knock.<\/p>\n

Cole stepped toward the door.<\/p>\n

Martin grabbed his arm again.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon’t open it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole looked at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin whispered:<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause whoever is in there isn’t supposed to still be alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

My entire body went cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin backed away.<\/p>\n

Cole stared at the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho’s in there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin didn’t answer.<\/p>\n

Then a weak voice came from the other side.<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp.\u201d<\/p>\n

I knew that voice.<\/p>\n

I had heard it before.<\/p>\n

Not in person.<\/p>\n

On a missing-person poster.<\/p>\n

A face I’d seen on social media months earlier.<\/p>\n

A man everyone at Apex had said simply quit.<\/p>\n

Evan Mercer.<\/p>\n

Cole looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know him?\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve seen his picture.\u201d<\/p>\n

The voice came again.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole reached for the handle.<\/p>\n

Martin shouted,<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole opened the door.<\/p>\n

A narrow staircase descended into darkness.<\/p>\n

Cold air rushed upward.<\/p>\n

The gym suddenly felt much smaller.<\/p>\n

Cole looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay here.\u201d<\/p>\n

I shook my head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stared at me.<\/p>\n

Then he nodded once.<\/p>\n

We descended.<\/p>\n

One step.<\/p>\n

Two.<\/p>\n

Three.<\/p>\n

The sounds of the gym disappeared above us.<\/p>\n

The basement was colder than it should have been.<\/p>\n

At the bottom was a concrete hallway.<\/p>\n

No windows.<\/p>\n

No decorations.<\/p>\n

Just old pipes running along the ceiling.<\/p>\n

Cole moved slowly.<\/p>\n

I followed.<\/p>\n

Then we saw the first door.<\/p>\n

Locked.<\/p>\n

Second door.<\/p>\n

Locked.<\/p>\n

Third\u2014<\/p>\n

open.<\/p>\n

Inside were shelves.<\/p>\n

Boxes.<\/p>\n

Hard drives.<\/p>\n

Old phones.<\/p>\n

Documents.<\/p>\n

Photographs.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of them.<\/p>\n

I picked up one.<\/p>\n

A membership photo.<\/p>\n

A man I recognized.<\/p>\n

Noah Bennett.<\/p>\n

I looked at Cole.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would they have this?\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn’t answer.<\/p>\n

He was staring at the wall.<\/p>\n

There were names written across it.<\/p>\n

Dozens.<\/p>\n

Maybe hundreds.<\/p>\n

Some had dates beside them.<\/p>\n

Some had dollar amounts.<\/p>\n

Some had red marks.<\/p>\n

Cole stepped closer.<\/p>\n

Then stopped.<\/p>\n

I saw my own name.<\/p>\n

SARAH MILLER.<\/p>\n

Under it was a date.<\/p>\n

Six months earlier.<\/p>\n

And beneath that:<\/p>\n

\u201cLOW RISK.\u201d<\/p>\n

My blood ran cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole didn’t respond.<\/p>\n

He was looking at another line.<\/p>\n

His own name.<\/p>\n

COLE MILLER.<\/p>\n

Next to it was a question:<\/p>\n

\u201cCONNECTION?\u201d<\/p>\n

And beneath it:<\/p>\n

\u201cVERIFY.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey knew about you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole’s face became completely expressionless.<\/p>\n

That was when I knew he was angry.<\/p>\n

Really angry.<\/p>\n

A sound came from the room behind us.<\/p>\n

A metallic scrape.<\/p>\n

Cole turned.<\/p>\n

I heard footsteps.<\/p>\n

Someone was coming.<\/p>\n

He motioned for me to get behind him.<\/p>\n

The footsteps stopped.<\/p>\n

Silence.<\/p>\n

Then a man stepped into the doorway.<\/p>\n

Thin.<\/p>\n

Bearded.<\/p>\n

Exhausted.<\/p>\n

He raised both hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon’t shoot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole immediately lowered his hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don’t have a gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man stared at him.<\/p>\n

Then at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

He swallowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvan.\u201d<\/p>\n

My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n

Evan Mercer.<\/p>\n

Alive.<\/p>\n

The missing man was alive.<\/p>\n

But he looked like he hadn’t seen daylight in months.<\/p>\n

Cole stepped toward him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan looked over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

Then whispered:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey know you’re here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan looked at me.<\/p>\n

Then at Cole.<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek isn’t the one you need to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt my heartbeat in my throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen who?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan stared directly at my brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole went completely still.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen what does he have to do with this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan reached into his jacket.<\/p>\n

He pulled out a small black flash drive.<\/p>\n

He held it toward Cole.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father left this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole didn’t take it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan’s eyes filled with fear.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause six years ago, before he died, he discovered what they were really doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan glanced toward the staircase.<\/p>\n

\u201cInsurance fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole’s expression hardened.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s all?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan lowered his voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were creating accidents.\u201d<\/p>\n

My stomach twisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cReal accidents?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo collect settlements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole stared at the wall of names.<\/p>\n

Suddenly the numbers made sense.<\/p>\n

Dollars.<\/p>\n

Claims.<\/p>\n

Targets.<\/p>\n

People.<\/p>\n

Evan continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek was one of their enforcers.\u201d<\/p>\n

I thought about the mat.<\/p>\n

The choke.<\/p>\n

The four seconds.<\/p>\n

My hands began shaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan looked at my name.<\/p>\n

Then at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you were useful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUseful for what?\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn’t answer immediately.<\/p>\n

Instead, he looked at Cole.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey weren’t trying to hurt Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole’s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were trying to get you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room seemed to disappear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan stepped closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour brother is the reason your name is on that wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole said nothing.<\/p>\n

Evan continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone has been tracking him for years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan’s expression changed.<\/p>\n

Fear.<\/p>\n

Pure fear.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe person who runs all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole’s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cName.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan whispered:<\/p>\n

\u201cVincent Kane.\u201d<\/p>\n

I recognized the name.<\/p>\n

It was written on one of the folders.<\/p>\n

But what I didn’t understand was why Evan looked terrified simply saying it.<\/p>\n

Cole noticed too.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan looked at the flash drive.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows I have this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why give it to us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I’m tired of running.\u201d<\/p>\n

A loud sound suddenly came from upstairs.<\/p>\n

The front door slammed.<\/p>\n

Then another.<\/p>\n

Footsteps.<\/p>\n

Several people.<\/p>\n

Evan’s face went white.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey found us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole moved toward the staircase.<\/p>\n

Evan grabbed his arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole looked at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey’re coming down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan pointed toward the back of the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is another exit.\u201d<\/p>\n

We ran.<\/p>\n

Behind a shelf was a narrow passage.<\/p>\n

Cole pushed it open.<\/p>\n

A tunnel.<\/p>\n

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.<\/p>\n

The tunnel led beneath the neighboring building.<\/p>\n

We moved quickly.<\/p>\n

Behind us came voices.<\/p>\n

\u201cCheck the basement!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFind them!\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole pushed me forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

We reached a steel door.<\/p>\n

Evan opened it.<\/p>\n

We emerged behind an alley two buildings away.<\/p>\n

Cold night air hit my face.<\/p>\n

I breathed deeply.<\/p>\n

For the first time, I realized I had been holding my breath.<\/p>\n

Cole looked at Evan.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow many exits?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho knows them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMartin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVincent?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan hesitated.<\/p>\n

Then:<\/p>\n

\u201cVincent designed them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole looked toward the gym.<\/p>\n

The lights were still on.<\/p>\n

Police sirens sounded in the distance.<\/p>\n

Evan suddenly grabbed Cole’s wrist.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s one more thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole turned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don’t know about the second copy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat second copy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan smiled weakly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one your father gave me.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad gave you evidence?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he knew somebody close to him had betrayed him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole’s face hardened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan looked at me.<\/p>\n

Then at Cole.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never found out.\u201d<\/p>\n

A police cruiser turned into the street.<\/p>\n

Evan stepped backward.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut your father left one message.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat message?\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan reached into his pocket.<\/p>\n

He pulled out an old photograph.<\/p>\n

Dad.<\/p>\n

Younger.<\/p>\n

Standing beside several people.<\/p>\n

Cole took it.<\/p>\n

I looked over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

There were four men in the picture.<\/p>\n

My father.<\/p>\n

Martin.<\/p>\n

Noah.<\/p>\n

And Vincent Kane.<\/p>\n

But something was wrong.<\/p>\n

I stared at the photograph.<\/p>\n

\u201cCole.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at Dad’s hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned the photograph over.<\/p>\n

On the back were four words.<\/p>\n

I KNOW WHO BETRAYED ME.<\/p>\n

Underneath was a name.<\/p>\n

Cole’s face went pale.<\/p>\n

I whispered:<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn’t answer.<\/p>\n

Because he was staring at the name.<\/p>\n

The name of the person my father had trusted more than anyone.<\/p>\n

The name of the person who had been standing beside our family for years.<\/p>\n

And before either of us could say it aloud\u2014<\/p>\n

my phone buzzed.<\/p>\n

Unknown number.<\/p>\n

One message.<\/p>\n

YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE FOUND EVAN.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A second message appeared immediately.<\/p>\n

NOW WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE PLAN.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then a third.<\/p>\n

A photograph.<\/p>\n

Taken only seconds earlier.<\/p>\n

It showed me.<\/p>\n

Cole.<\/p>\n

And Evan.<\/p>\n

Standing in the alley.<\/p>\n

Taken from somewhere across the street.<\/p>\n

Underneath the photograph was one final sentence:<\/p>\n

YOUR FATHER WASN’T THE FIRST MILLER I WATCHED.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n

My blood turned cold.<\/p>\n

Cole slowly looked up.<\/p>\n

Across the street, beneath a broken streetlight, someone was standing.<\/p>\n

Watching us.<\/p>\n

Then the figure stepped backward into the darkness.<\/p>\n

Gone.<\/p>\n

And that was when I realized the worst part.<\/p>\n

This had never started tonight.<\/p>\n

It had started years before I ever walked into Apex Grappling.<\/p>\n

And somehow\u2014<\/p>\n

my father had known it was coming.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I can also continue Part 4<\/strong> directly from this cliffhanger and make the next section even more suspenseful and longer…..<\/p>\n

Click Here to continuous Read\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b Full Ending Story\ud83d\udc49PART(4): – “My Older Brother Drove Down to Help Me Move, But He Arrived” \u2026<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PART 3 \u2014 THE MAN DEREK THOUGHT HE COULD BREAK Derek shot forward, his massive hand reaching aggressively for my brother\u2019s neck. I stopped breathing. For half a second, all … <\/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-5831","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\/5831","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=5831"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5831\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5836,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5831\/revisions\/5836"}],"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=5831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}