Chapter 6 - What Gideon Had HiddenThe collapse separated Sadie from everyone.
For nearly an hour she crawled through darkness.
Every breath tasted like dust.
Her hands bled.
The tunnel narrowed until she could barely move.
Then she heard a voice.
“Sadie.”
She stopped.
“Gideon?”
“Keep coming.”
She followed the sound.
Eventually, the passage opened.
Gideon sat against a wall.
Blood covered his forehead.
His hands were free.
Sadie rushed toward him.
“What happened?”
“Judd's men panicked.”
“Where are they?”
“Dead.”
Sadie stared.
“What?”
“The tunnel finished the job.”
She looked at him.
“You're hurt.”
“So are you.”
“I’ll live.”
“Good.”
He looked down at the black ledger in her hands.
“Where did you get that?”
“Judd.”
Gideon's expression hardened.
“What does it say?”
Sadie handed it over.
He read the first page.
Then another.
His eyes changed.
“What?”
Gideon closed the book.
“We have to leave.”
“Why?”
“Because this changes everything.”
“That’s what everyone keeps saying.”
He stood.
Sadie grabbed his arm.
“No.”
He looked at her.
“No more secrets.”
Gideon said nothing.
“You knew my father.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I met him eight years ago.”
“At Black Hollow?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I wasn't sure.”
“About what?”
Gideon's eyes moved away.
“He asked me to protect you.”
Sadie's heart stopped.
“When?”
“After Harlan disappeared.”
She stared.
“My brother was alive?”
“Then.”
“What happened?”
“Harlan found evidence against Judd.”
“Where is he?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
Sadie backed away.
“You've known all this time.”
“I suspected.”
“You suspected my father was alive.”
“Yes.”
“And you still brought me here.”
“I didn't know he'd be here.”
“You knew about the mine.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Judd.”
“Yes.”
“You knew there was something about me.”
“Yes.”
Sadie's eyes filled with anger.
“You saved me without telling me anything.”
“I saved you because you were dying.”
“You don't get to decide what I deserve to know.”
“I know.”
“Then tell me everything.”
Gideon looked at her.
“My brother didn't die because of Judd.”
Sadie went still.
“Then who killed him?”
“No one.”
She stared.
“What?”
Gideon swallowed.
“Harlan disappeared.”
“And you let everyone believe he was dead.”
“Because someone wanted him dead.”
“Who?”
Gideon looked at the ledger.
“Your father.”
Sadie stepped backward.
“No.”
“He made a deal.”
“What deal?”
“To hide Harlan.”
“From Judd?”
“Yes.”
“Then why?”
“Because Harlan knew about the gold.”
Sadie shook her head.
“This makes no sense.”
“It will.”
Gideon opened the ledger.
Inside was a map.
Not of the mine.
Of the entire region.
One route was marked in red.
It led from Fort Carson to Black Hollow.
Then to Mercer Ridge.
Then to the Bennett homestead.
Then west toward the mountains.
Gideon pointed.
“That's the route the gold traveled.”
Sadie frowned.
“Why the Bennett property?”
“Because there's a natural cavern beneath it.”
Her blood ran cold.
“You're saying there's a tunnel under my childhood home?”
“Yes.”
“My father knew.”
“Yes.”
“And Judd knew.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did he keep me?”
Gideon stared at her.
“Because you're the only legal heir.”
“To what?”
“Black Hollow.”
Sadie laughed bitterly.
“I don't own a mine.”
“You own the claim.”
“So?”
“So the federal land contract was signed by your grandfather.”
“It's worthless.”
“No.”
Gideon shook his head.
“It's worth millions.”
Sadie stared.
“And Judd wants it.”
“He already tried to obtain it.”
“Then why didn't he just kill me?”
“Because the claim can't transfer after death.”
Sadie froze.
“What?”
“The law requires a living heir to legally transfer ownership.”
She suddenly understood.
Judd hadn't wanted her dead.
Not immediately.
He had wanted her to sign.
But she had refused.
So he had chained her.
Not because he wanted revenge.
Because he wanted her desperate enough to surrender.
Sadie closed her eyes.
“He was going to let me live.”
Gideon nodded.
“Until the documents were signed.”
“And then?”
“You already know.”
The tunnel suddenly shook.
Gideon looked upward.
“Someone's above us.”
They extinguished the lantern.
Footsteps echoed.
A man's voice traveled through the stone.
“Search every chamber.”
Sadie whispered.
“Judd?”
Gideon shook his head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
A second voice answered.
And Gideon went pale.
“No.”
Sadie looked at him.
“What?”
May you like
He whispered a name.
“Harlan.”
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