Chapter 9 - The Man I Thought I TrustedNobody spoke after the video ended.
Thomas.
The man I had trusted with my life.
The man who had carried my son when he was sick.
The man who knew every room in my house.
The man who had protected me for twelve years.
A traitor.
Or at least, that was what Victor wanted me to believe.
I looked at Daniel.
“Is Thomas really working for Helix?”
Daniel nodded.
“He was one of their recruiters.”
“How long?”
“Before you hired him.”
That answer hurt more than I expected.
Victor watched me carefully.
“You hired the wolf and then wondered why sheep kept disappearing.”
I raised my gun.
Victor didn't move.
Daniel's video kept replaying in my mind.
“Where is he?”
Victor smiled.
“You're going to find him.”
“How?”
“By following the boy.”
Caleb looked confused.
I turned toward him.
“What did your father teach you about the house?”
Caleb swallowed.
“He taught me to count doors.”
“How many?”
“Thirteen.”
“There are twelve.”
“I know.”
I stared at him.
“What is the thirteenth door?”
Caleb pointed toward the church floor.
We moved a rug.
Beneath it was a trapdoor.
Daniel looked shocked.
“I didn't know that was here.”
Caleb looked at him.
“You never showed me.”
“I thought you forgot.”
“I didn't.”
The trapdoor opened.
A staircase descended into darkness.
At the bottom was a hidden room.
The walls were covered with drawings.
Children.
Symbols.
Maps.
A black spiral.
And one repeated image.
A red door.
Caleb stopped.
“My dad said never draw this.”
I touched the drawing.
“What is it?”
“The room where they took him.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“That isn't a room.”
“What is it?”
“A laboratory.”
We found surveillance footage.
A child sat at a table.
Caleb.
Six years old.
Across from him was a younger man.
Thomas.
I watched in horror.
Thomas placed objects on the table.
A watch.
A coin.
A photograph.
Then asked Caleb questions.
“What do you remember?”
Caleb's younger voice answered.
“My dad.”
“Who else?”
“A man with white hair.”
“Who?”
“My uncle.”
I looked at Adrian.
He stared at the screen.
The boy continued.
“He told Dad to hide the key.”
Thomas asked.
“Where?”
Caleb pointed to himself.
“Inside me.”
Thomas leaned toward him.
“Who told you that?”
“My grandfather.”
The recording stopped.
I turned to Daniel.
“You knew my father had access to Caleb.”
“I suspected.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because your father would have killed him.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“He already tried.”
Everyone turned.
“What?”
Adrian's face was grim.
“Your father ordered Caleb's removal.”
Elena moved in front of her son.
“Removal?”
Adrian nodded.
“He called it extraction.”
I wanted to speak.
Nothing came.
Then a phone rang.
Not mine.
Not Daniel's.
Caleb's pocket.
The boy froze.
“I don't have a phone.”
I pulled it out.
A small black device.
The screen showed one word.
GRANDFATHER.
I answered.
Silence.
Then my father's voice.
“Bring my grandson.”
I stared at the phone.
“Why?”
He laughed softly.
“Because he has something you need.”
“What?”
A pause.
“Your brother.”
The call ended.
Immediately, Caleb's wrist began to glow red beneath the skin.
He screamed.
Daniel grabbed him.
The room filled with a high-pitched electronic sound.
Rachel stared at the implant scanner.
“It's transmitting.”
“To whom?”
Daniel looked at me.
“To Helix.”
Then the church windows shattered.
Snipers.
Everyone dropped.
I pulled Caleb behind the altar.
Daniel returned fire.
Glass rained around us.
Then a message appeared on the scanner.
TRANSFER COMPLETE.
I stared.
“What was transferred?”
The screen displayed one final line.
THE BOY HAS GIVEN THEM THE LOCATION OF THE VAULT.
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And beneath it:
OPENING IN 60 MINUTES.
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