Chapter 6: The Man in the Dark
The gunshot had barely stopped echoing when Marcus dragged me behind a concrete support column.
“Stay down,” he ordered.
Another shot cracked through the darkness.
Diane screamed.
“Marcus!””
“I have you,” he said.
A flashlight snapped on somewhere down the hallway.
For one terrifying second, I saw Diane standing beside the open locker.
Then the light disappeared.
“Diane!”” I shouted.
No answer.
Marcus moved forward.
“Stay here.””
“I’m coming.””
“Maya, no.””
“I’m not leaving her.””
He cursed under his breath and disappeared around the corner.
I pressed myself against the wall, trying to hear anything through the pounding in my ears.
Footsteps.
Fast.
Then a struggle.
A man's voice.
“Where is the letter?””
Diane answered.
“I don't have it.””
“You're lying.””
A heavy impact followed.
I stepped out from behind the column.
“Leave her alone!””
The hallway went silent.
Then a figure appeared at the far end.
Tall.
Dark coat.
Gun in hand.
He raised it toward me.
I couldn't move.
The emergency lights flickered on.
And I recognized him.
Thomas Reed.
My father's former security chief.
The man my father had just told me might have been near the road the night my mother died.
He looked at me with something that wasn't anger.
It was pity.
“Maya,” he said quietly.
I swallowed.
“You shot at us.””
“I shot at the ceiling.””
“You could have killed someone.””
“If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be standing there.””
Marcus emerged behind him.
His gun was raised.
“Drop it, Thomas.””
Thomas slowly lowered his weapon.
“Marcus, you don't understand.””
“Then explain.””
Thomas looked at me.
“Your mother asked me to protect you.””
My chest tightened.
“From whom?””
“Everyone.””
A door slammed somewhere behind us.
Thomas turned.
His face changed.
“They found us.””
“Who?”” I asked.
He looked at the open locker.
“The people who killed your mother.””
Before I could answer, he grabbed my arm.
“Move.””
Marcus hesitated.
Then another gunshot shattered the glass light fixture above us.
“Move!”” Thomas shouted.
We ran.
Thomas led us through a service corridor I hadn't noticed before.
Diane followed behind us.
Marcus brought up the rear.
We burst through a metal door into an alley.
A black SUV was waiting.
Thomas opened the rear door.
“Get in.””
I stopped.
“No.””
Thomas looked at me.
“Maya.””
“Why should I trust you?””
“Because your mother did.””
He reached into his coat and pulled out a small photograph.
My mother.
She was standing beside Thomas.
On the back was a date.
The day before she died.
And beneath it, her handwriting:
Thomas knows the truth. If anything happens to me, trust him before you trust Alexander.
I stared at the words.
My father's name.
Alexander.
Thomas saw my expression.
“She knew your father was going to lie to you.””
I climbed into the SUV.
Diane sat beside me.
Marcus got in front.
Thomas drove.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Finally, I turned to Diane.
“You knew.””
She looked out the window.
“Yes.””
“About my mother?””
“Yes.””
“About Ryan?””
“Yes.””
“About the money?””
“Yes.””
My voice cracked.
“Then tell me everything.””
Diane closed her eyes.
“Your mother and I met through a private investment group. We were both trying to expose a network that was moving money through legitimate companies.””
“Daniel Mercer?””
“Yes.””
“And my father?””
She hesitated.
“Your father knew.””
I stared at her.
“He knew about the network?””
“He helped build part of it.””
The words hit me like a physical blow.
“No.””
Thomas spoke from the driver's seat.
“Diane.””
“She deserves the truth.””
I leaned forward.
“My father stole eighteen million dollars?””
“No,” Diane said.
“Your father stole much more.””
My stomach turned.
“How much?””
“We don't know.””
I shook my head.
“My father built Bennett Holdings from nothing.””
Diane looked at me.
“That is what he wanted everyone to believe.””
“What did my mother discover?””
“That Alexander had been using shell companies to move money from investors into private accounts.””
“And Daniel helped him?””
“Daniel helped him at first.””
“At first?””
“He eventually tried to stop.””
I thought about the photograph of my mother and Daniel.
“So my mother found out.””
“Yes.””
“She told you.””
“Yes.””
“Then why did she die?””
Diane's eyes filled with tears.
“Because she was going to expose them.””
“Who?””
“Alexander.””
I felt the world tilt.
“No.””
Diane reached for my hand.
I pulled away.
“My father didn't kill my mother.””
“I didn't say he did.””
“But you believe it.””
She looked down.
“I believe he knew she was in danger and chose not to save her.””
The SUV stopped abruptly.
Thomas turned around.
“Everyone out.””
We climbed into an abandoned warehouse.
The place smelled like oil and damp concrete.
Thomas locked the door.
I turned toward him.
“Where is Ryan?””
Thomas looked at Diane.
She shook her head.
“I don't know.””
I stepped closer.
“You said you were protecting him.””
“I tried.””
“Where is he?””
“I think they took him.””
“Who?””
Thomas answered.
“Daniel.””
I froze.
“Daniel is alive?””
Thomas nodded.
My father's former CFO had supposedly disappeared.
But he was alive.
And apparently he had been pulling strings for years.
“Why would he take Ryan?””
“Because Ryan knows too much.””
“Then why didn't he kill him?””
Thomas looked at me.
“Because Ryan isn't the target.””
My pulse quickened.
“Then who is?””
Thomas didn't answer.
Instead, he walked to an old metal cabinet and removed a small box.
He placed it on the table.
“This belonged to your mother.””
Inside was a cassette tape.
I stared at it.
“I don't have anything to play that on.””
Thomas pulled an old recorder from another drawer.
He inserted the tape.
Static filled the warehouse.
Then my mother's voice.
“Maya, if you're hearing this, I failed to protect you.””
My knees weakened.
Diane began crying.
My mother's voice continued.
“Alexander will tell you that your mother died in an accident.””
A pause.
“She didn't.””
I covered my mouth.
“He knew about the threat. He knew Daniel was watching me.””
Static.
Then her voice became quieter.
“There is something Alexander never told you.””
I looked at Thomas.
He wouldn't meet my eyes.
My mother's voice continued.
“You are not his daughter.””
I stopped breathing.
The tape clicked.
Then my mother's voice returned.
“Your biological father is—”
The recorder suddenly stopped.
Thomas stared at it.
“What happened?””
“The tape was cut.””
I grabbed the recorder.
“No.””
“There may be another copy.””
“Where?””
Thomas looked toward Diane.
Diane whispered:
“Ryan has it.””
My heart stopped.
“Ryan?””
“Yes.””
“Why would Ryan have a copy of my mother's confession?””
Diane looked at me.
“Because your mother gave it to him.””
“When?””
“Years ago.””
I stared at her.
“Ryan was eight.””
“He was.””
“Why would she give an eight-year-old a tape?””
Diane's voice broke.
“Because she knew she was going to die.””
Before I could ask another question, a phone began ringing.
Everyone froze.
It wasn't mine.
It wasn't Thomas's.
It was Diane's.
She looked at the screen.
Her face went white.
“Who is it?””
She answered.
A man's voice came through.
I recognized it immediately.
Ryan.
“Maya?””
I grabbed the phone.
“Ryan!””
“Listen to me.””
“Where are you?””
“I don't know.””
“Are you hurt?””
“Yes.””
My heart clenched.
“Who has you?””
“Daniel.””
Thomas closed his eyes.
Ryan continued.
“He knows about the tape.””
I swallowed.
“What does he want?””
“He wants you.””
The line crackled.
Then Ryan whispered:
“Maya, don't come looking for me.””
A pause.
“If you do, he'll kill me.””
The call ended.
And one second later, a text appeared on Diane's phone.
An address.
May you like
And a message.
*Bring Maya. Come alone.*
