Chapter 11 - THE EXPLOSIONSmoke filled the house.
Shawn heard screaming.
Glass shattered.
A section of the floor collapsed.
He dropped to his knees.
“Dad!”
No answer.
Fire spread along the basement ceiling.
Evelyn grabbed Shawn.
“We have to leave.”
“No!”
“He wanted this!”
Shawn pulled free.
He saw a hole in the floor.
Below it was the basement.
Don was gone.
Kane too.
Reeves had vanished.
Emma looked toward the back door.
“There's another explosion coming.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Kane planned the house to collapse.”
Shawn stared.
The building groaned.
They ran outside.
Seconds later, the eastern side of the house collapsed into the snow.
Shawn stood there breathing smoke.
His childhood home was destroyed.
He watched the basement disappear.
Brenda fell to her knees.
“My parents…”
Evelyn placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Don is alive.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Kane needs him.”
“For what?”
“He needs the original trust documents.”
Shawn looked at Evelyn.
“And he needs me.”
“Yes.”
“Where would he take him?”
Evelyn stared toward the trees.
“The old factory.”
The abandoned Miller factory had been closed for fifteen years.
Nobody went there.
They drove there before dawn.
The building was surrounded by snow.
Inside, lights were visible.
They entered through a broken side door.
Voices echoed.
Kane stood beside a metal table.
Don was tied to a chair.
Reeves guarded the entrance.
Kane turned.
“You came.”
Shawn raised his weapon.
“Let him go.”
Kane smiled.
“Bring me the original trust.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“I have it.”
She held up the folder.
Kane's eyes lit up.
“You always were predictable.”
Evelyn threw the folder onto the floor.
Kane opened it.
His smile disappeared.
Empty pages.
He looked at Shawn.
“You think this is funny?”
“No.”
Kane stepped toward Don.
“You have five minutes.”
Shawn said:
“You're running out of time.”
Kane laughed.
“Of course.”
He opened a metal case.
Inside was a laptop.
He turned it toward Shawn.
A bank portal.
A transfer screen.
“Put your hand here.”
Shawn didn't move.
Kane pulled back Don's chair.
A pistol pressed against his head.
“Do it.”
Don shouted:
“No!”
Shawn stepped forward.
“Don't.”
He reached for the biometric scanner.
His finger touched it.
The screen recognized him.
IDENTITY VERIFIED.
Kane smiled.
Then everything went black.
The laptop displayed:
ACCESS DENIED.
Kane stared.
“What?”
A second message appeared.
ACCOUNT FROZEN BY BENEFICIARY.
Kane looked at Shawn.
“You knew.”
“I guessed.”
“You can't freeze the accounts.”
“I already did.”
“How?”
Shawn smiled.
“Three years ago, when my money started disappearing, I noticed something.”
Kane stared.
“The payments.”
“You thought you controlled them.”
“I did.”
“No.”
Shawn stepped closer.
“I changed the account structure months ago.”
Kane's expression hardened.
“I never authorized that.”
“You didn't need to.”
Kane's breathing became heavier.
Then a phone rang.
Reeves answered.
His expression changed.
“Sir?”
A voice on the other end shouted.
Reeves slowly lowered the phone.
“There are federal agents outside.”
Kane turned.
“How?”
Shawn smiled.
“Because I sent them the list.”
Sirens approached.
Kane looked toward the windows.
Then at Don.
Then at Evelyn.
His entire empire was collapsing.
But he suddenly smiled.
“Shawn.”
“What?”
“There is one thing you still don't know.”
Kane pointed at Brenda.
“She isn't your sister.”
Shawn froze.
“What?”
Kane laughed.
“Maria raised you together.”
“That proves nothing.”
“She isn't a Miller.”
“Neither am I.”
Kane shook his head.
“No.”
He pointed at Brenda.
“She is my daughter.”
Silence.
Brenda's face went white.
“No.”
Kane smiled.
“Ask her.”
Shawn turned.
Brenda couldn't meet his eyes.
The factory doors exploded open.
May you like
Federal agents stormed in.
And in the chaos, Kane disappeared.
