Chapter 13 - Everett didn't move.Junie stood behind him.
She stared at the man.
“Daddy?”
The man smiled.
“Hello, June.”
Lily covered her mouth.
Everett looked at her.
“You knew?”
Lily shook her head.
“I thought he was dead.”
The man's name was Daniel Mercer.
Lily's husband.
The father of Junie.
Richard's most dangerous weapon.
Daniel looked at Everett.
“You have no idea how much I wanted to meet you.”
Everett's voice was low.
“You've been alive all this time.”
“Yes.”
“You let Lily believe you were dead.”
“I had to.”
“You let Junie grow up without her father.”
Daniel's face softened.
“I protected her.”
“By disappearing?”
“By staying alive.”
Victor laughed.
“Family reunions are beautiful.”
Everett stepped forward.
“Shut up.”
Victor smiled.
Daniel looked at the USB.
“You found it.”
Everett held it tightly.
“What is it?”
“The original evidence.”
“Then why are you working for Richard?”
Daniel smiled.
“I'm not.”
Silence.
“Then why are you standing beside Victor?”
Daniel turned toward Victor.
“Because he thinks I'm working for him.”
Victor's smile disappeared.
Daniel moved instantly.
He struck Victor in the face.
Gunfire erupted.
Everyone dove for cover.
Everett grabbed Junie.
Lily grabbed Claire.
Hannah ran toward the cemetery wall.
Daniel fought two men at once.
Then Victor pulled a gun.
He aimed at Lily.
Daniel shouted:
“GET DOWN!”
The bullet hit him.
He fell.
Lily screamed.
“Daniel!”
Victor raised the gun again.
Everett tackled him.
They crashed into a gravestone.
Victor punched him.
Everett hit back.
For years Everett had imagined what he would do if he ever met the man who destroyed his family.
He had imagined rage.
He had imagined revenge.
But now he felt something else.
Exhaustion.
He hit Victor once.
Again.
Then stopped.
“Where is Richard?”
Victor laughed through blood.
“You still think he's the worst one?”
Everett froze.
“What?”
Victor whispered:
“Ask Lily who hired me.”
Everett looked toward his daughter.
Lily stared at Victor.
“I know.”
Victor smiled.
“You don't.”
He pointed toward Daniel.
“He sold you.”
Lily looked at her husband.
Daniel was bleeding heavily.
“No.”
Victor continued.
“He gave Richard your location.”
Lily stepped back.
“Daniel?”
Daniel struggled to speak.
“I didn't.”
Victor laughed.
“You always say that.”
Daniel whispered:
“I was undercover.”
Lily froze.
Daniel looked at her.
“Richard forced me.”
“I had no choice.”
Lily began crying.
“You watched me disappear.”
“I was trying to get the evidence.”
“You let me think you were dead!”
“I knew Richard would kill you if he thought you trusted me.”
Everett stared.
Daniel reached into his coat.
He pulled out another drive.
“The card Richard took was fake.”
Everett looked down.
“This one is real.”
Suddenly a helicopter appeared above the cemetery.
Its spotlight illuminated the graves.
A voice came over a loudspeaker.
“Drop the weapons.”
Nobody moved.
Then Richard appeared inside the helicopter.
Everett looked up.
Richard smiled.
“Good.”
He raised a small remote.
The cemetery gates locked.
“And now…”
He pressed a button.
May you like
Explosions erupted beneath the ground.
The cemetery began to collapse.
