Chapter 11 - The Voss EstateThe Voss estate sat behind iron gates and towering trees.
No lights.
No guards.
No dogs.
That made Stone nervous.
He and six riders approached on foot.
Daniel stayed behind.
“Don't go in,” he told Stone.
Stone looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because this place was designed for people who don't leave.”
Stone smiled faintly.
“Then it's about time somebody did.”
They entered.
The front doors opened by themselves.
Inside, portraits covered the walls.
Elias Voss everywhere.
Young.
Older.
Smiling.
Beside every portrait stood Isabel.
Stone stopped at one.
Isabel looked strangely familiar.
Then he realized why.
Clara had her eyes.
Footsteps sounded above.
A child’s voice called:
“Stone.”
Clara.
He ran upstairs.
A hallway.
Another.
Then a locked bedroom.
“Clara!”
“Stone!”
He broke the door.
Clara was inside.
Alone.
No restraints.
No injuries.
She ran into his arms.
“They said you'd come.”
“Who?”
She pointed to a mirror.
A hidden speaker crackled.
Evelyn’s voice.
“Very brave.”
Stone looked at Clara.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
“Where's the woman?”
Clara pointed downward.
“She said Grandma wanted to talk to you.”
Stone froze.
“Grandma?”
The speaker clicked.
The mirror slid aside.
A staircase appeared.
They descended.
Underground was an archive.
Thousands of files.
Boxes.
Photographs.
Hard drives.
Documents.
The real ledger.
Stone stared.
Evelyn stepped out of the shadows.
White gloves.
But this time she was crying.
“Clara.”
The girl moved closer to Stone.
Evelyn knelt.
“I am your grandmother.”
Clara said nothing.
Evelyn looked at Stone.
“You think I kidnapped her.”
“You did.”
“I saved her.”
Stone's expression stayed cold.
“From what?”
“Her father.”
Daniel appeared at the staircase.
Evelyn's face changed.
“No.”
Daniel raised his weapon.
Evelyn shook her head.
“You don't understand what he became.”
Daniel shouted:
“You killed Samuel!”
“No.”
Evelyn looked at Stone.
“Your father discovered the truth.”
She pointed toward a locked archive.
“Samuel wasn't killed by Elias.”
Stone stared.
“He was killed by Daniel.”
Daniel went pale.
“That’s a lie.”
Evelyn opened the archive.
Inside was a video file.
Samuel Mercer sat in a chair.
Alive.
Daniel stood behind him.
The recording continued.
Samuel said:
“Daniel, listen to me.”
Daniel in the video was crying.
“You don't understand.”
The screen cut to black.
Stone looked at Daniel.
“Why were you there?”
Daniel couldn't answer.
Evelyn stepped closer.
“Because Samuel asked him to kill him.”
Stone's face hardened.
“What?”
“Your father knew he would be tortured for the names.”
“He asked Daniel to end it.”
Daniel finally spoke.
“I couldn't.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“You did.”
Stone stared at him.
Daniel's hands trembled.
“I thought I killed him.”
Everyone froze.
Then a voice came from behind them.
A man's voice.
Calm.
Familiar.
“That's because you did.”
Stone turned.
Sheriff Alan Crowe stood in the doorway.
Gun raised.
And beside him...
May you like
stood Mara.
Holding Clara's hand.
