Chapter 7 - THE WOMAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Mike watched the screen.
His face drained of color.
"That's impossible."
I replayed the clip.
Same timestamp.
Same room.
Same woman.
Margaret.
But Mike was standing beside us.
Alive.
Then who was the man in the chair?
Daniel took the phone.
"We need to secure this."
I nodded.
The image froze on the man's face.
It wasn't Mike.
It was his brother.
Thomas Reed.
I looked at Mike.
"You never told me you had a brother."
His jaw tightened.
"I didn't know he was involved."
Before anyone could say more, one of the agents came over.
"We found another room."
We followed him.
Behind a false wall was a small office.
A desk.
Three monitors.
A safe.
And dozens of files.
Daniel opened the safe.
Inside was a stack of passports.
Fake identities.
Cash.
And one envelope.
My name was written on it.
I opened it.
Inside was a single letter.
My mother's handwriting.
Caleb,
If you're reading this, I've run out of time.
I stopped.
Daniel looked at me.
"Keep going."
The letter explained everything.
At least, part of it.
Margaret had been approached years earlier by Eric Vaughn, who wanted access to family financial accounts.
At first, she refused.
Then Eric showed her evidence of the shipment operation.
He told her Paige was already involved.
Margaret panicked.
Instead of exposing Paige, she joined them.
Her justification?
She believed she could control the damage.
She started moving money through my accounts.
She used forged signatures.
She bought properties.
She created shell companies.
But then Gwen found out.
Margaret had initially planned to pay for her treatment.
Until Gwen threatened to tell me.
That was when Margaret made the choice.
She chose secrecy.
Over a human life.
My hands trembled.
Then I reached the final page.
And read the sentence that changed everything.
Gwen was never supposed to survive long enough to tell you.
I stopped breathing.
Daniel took the letter.
"We need to move her now."
I ran.
Back to the hotel.
Gwen wasn't there.
The room was empty.
The door was open.
Her phone was on the bed.
My heart stopped.
I called her name.
Nothing.
I searched the bathroom.
Closet.
Hallway.
Parking garage.
Nothing.
Then I saw the elevator camera.
A figure entered carrying someone.
A woman.
Small.
Shaved head.
Gwen.
I felt the world collapse.
The elevator doors closed.
I called the front desk.
"Who booked this room?"
They gave me the reservation name.
Margaret.
I wanted to explode.
Instead, I focused.
Four years of military training.
Breathe.
Assess.
Move.
Daniel was already calling authorities.
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
Text:
COME ALONE.
Another message followed.
An address.
An abandoned church.
I showed Daniel.
"No."
"I'm going."
"You're walking into a trap."
"I know."
He grabbed my arm.
"Then don't go alone."
We went.
The church had no electricity.
No people outside.
The doors were unlocked.
Inside, the air smelled damp.
We walked down the aisle.
Then the lights came on.
Margaret stood at the altar.
Gwen was seated in a chair beside her.
She looked terrified.
Margaret smiled sadly.
"You always were stubborn."
I stared at her.
"Let Gwen go."
"First, listen."
"You've got five seconds."
She shook her head.
"You still don't understand."
"Then explain."
She looked at Gwen.
"I did terrible things."
Gwen whispered, "You almost killed me."
Margaret's face fell.
"I know."
"Why?"
"Because I thought I was protecting my daughter."
I looked at Paige's mother.
"From what?"
"From Eric."
Margaret's voice cracked.
"He told me if I went to the authorities, Paige would disappear."
I shook my head.
"You still had a choice."
"I know."
"She was sick."
"I know."
"She begged you for money."
Margaret closed her eyes.
"I know."
Gwen stood.
"Then why?"
Margaret looked at her.
"Because by the time I realized what they were doing, I was already trapped."
A gunshot echoed outside.
Everyone froze.
Margaret looked toward the doors.
Then she whispered:
"He's here."
I grabbed Gwen.
Daniel pulled his weapon.
Another gunshot.
The church windows shattered.
Margaret screamed.
And from the shadows behind the altar, Eric Vaughn stepped into the light.
He wasn't alone.
May you like
Behind him stood Paige.
And Paige was holding a gun.
