Chapter 14 - The Woman in the PhotographMy Mother Had Worked for JulianThe photograph destroyed everything.
My mother beside Julian.
My father beside Arthur.
Thomas between them.
Everyone looked young.
Everyone looked alive.
I couldn't stop staring at Mom's face.
Arthur picked up the photograph.
“Where did you get this?”
Daniel was still tied to the chair.
“Julian kept copies.”
“Why is Elena with him?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Because she infiltrated his operation.”
Arthur looked at him.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me?”
“I was protecting her.”
Martin laughed.
“You were protecting a spy.”
He aimed his gun.
Then the store lights exploded.
Arthur moved.
Three shots.
Martin fell.
The remaining men fled.
Arthur untied Daniel.
I ran to my father.
He hugged me so hard I could barely breathe.
“You got so big.”
“You're alive.”
“I'm sorry.”
“You lied.”
“I know.”
“You said you died.”
“I needed you to believe it.”
Arthur approached.
“Where is Elena?”
Daniel's expression changed.
“Julian took her.”
“Why?”
“Because she knows where Thomas is.”
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
“Where?”
Daniel looked at me.
“She doesn't.”
“What?”
“The only person Thomas trusted with the final location was Ivy.”
I stared.
“I don't know anything.”
Daniel knelt.
“You do.”
He touched my forehead.
“Remember the game.”
Three cards.
Blue door.
Red book.
Silver key.
I closed my eyes.
A memory surfaced.
Thomas kneeling beside me.
He wasn't a stranger.
He had visited us when I was little.
He had given me a chocolate.
Then he showed me three cards.
“Which one is the door?”
I pointed to blue.
“Which one is the book?”
Red.
“Which one opens it?”
Silver.
Then he whispered:
“When you are old enough, you'll know.”
I opened my eyes.
“I remember.”
Arthur crouched.
“Where?”
I looked toward the map on the wall.
There were colored streets.
Blue.
Red.
Silver.
I pointed.
“The old water tower.”
Daniel's face turned pale.
“Yes.”
Arthur stood.
“That was the final vault.”
Before we could leave, the store's back door opened.
A woman stepped inside.
My mother.
She looked weak.
Bruised.
But alive.
I ran.
She hugged me.
“Ivy.”
“I thought you were gone.”
“I almost was.”
Arthur stared over her shoulder.
Behind Mom stood a man with a gun.
Thomas.
He looked at Arthur.
Arthur looked at him.
No words.
Then Thomas smiled.
“I knew you'd find her.”
Arthur's eyes filled with disbelief.
“You're alive.”
Thomas walked forward.
“And you're still impossible to kill.”
I thought it was over.
It wasn't.
Thomas took Noah from me.
He kissed the baby's forehead.
Then he whispered:
“I'm sorry, little man.”
Arthur's expression changed.
“What are you doing?”
Thomas raised the gun.
Not at Arthur.
At Noah.
My mother screamed.
Thomas looked at us.
May you like
“Julian owns me.”
Then he pulled the trigger.
