CHAPTER 14: THE BETRAYAL
I couldn't breathe.
My father was alive.
Alive after all these years.
But his eyes weren't on me.
They were fixed on something behind my shoulder.
I slowly turned.
My mother stood in the doorway.
Her face was expressionless.
Behind her were Detective Harris, Rebecca, Sarah, and two officers.
Nobody spoke.
Then my father said:
“Not her.”
I froze.
“Then who?”
His eyes moved past my mother.
Toward Rebecca.
Rebecca's face went white.
Michael immediately stepped between us.
“No.”
My father nodded.
“Rebecca.”
She took one step backward.
“David…”
“You betrayed me.”
Her lips trembled.
“I had no choice.”
“You always had a choice.”
“I was protecting them.”
“You were protecting yourself.”
I stared at Rebecca.
“You brought us here.”
She didn't deny it.
“Why?”
She looked at my father.
“Because you were supposed to stay hidden.”
“Then why did you reveal yourself?”
“Because your sons found the archive.”
My father shook his head.
“You were supposed to destroy it.”
Rebecca's eyes filled with tears.
“I couldn't.”
“Then why did you lead them here?”
She didn't answer.
Michael stepped toward her.
“You worked for him.”
Rebecca looked at him.
“Yes.”
Silence.
My stomach turned.
“Grandfather?”
She nodded.
“For fifteen years.”
“Why?”
“Because he had my daughter.”
I froze.
“What?”
Rebecca looked at me.
“My daughter disappeared when she was twelve.”
She swallowed.
“Your grandfather took her.”
My father closed his eyes.
“He used her as leverage.”
Rebecca whispered:
“He told me if I stopped working for him, she would die.”
Michael stared.
“Where is she?”
Rebecca shook her head.
“I don't know.”
My father said:
“She died.”
Rebecca collapsed into a chair.
“No.”
“She died eight years ago.”
Rebecca covered her face.
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
She began sobbing.
I felt no anger.
Only exhaustion.
Another person had been trapped by my grandfather.
Another life destroyed.
But one question remained.
“Who betrayed Dad?”
My father looked at me.
“Rebecca wasn't the one.”
Rebecca lifted her head.
“What?”
Dad shook his head.
“You never knew the whole plan.”
“Then who?”
My father looked toward the hallway.
“Your mother.”
My mother closed her eyes.
I turned.
“Mom?”
She didn't answer.
Dad continued.
“She didn't change my final dose.”
My mother whispered:
“No.”
“She told them where I would be.”
I stared.
“What?”
Dad looked at me.
“Your mother arranged my transfer to Blackwood.”
My mother began crying.
“I was trying to save you.”
“You were trying to save yourself.”
“I was threatened.”
“You still gave them the location.”
“I had no choice.”
Dad's voice hardened.
“You always had a choice.”
My mother looked at Daniel.
“They told me they would kill you.”
Daniel whispered:
“You should have told me.”
“I was afraid.”
“You should have trusted me.”
She began crying harder.
Daniel looked away.
My father sighed.
“That's what they wanted.”
“What?”
“To make everyone afraid of everyone else.”
He pointed toward the metal box.
“Open it.”
I did.
Dad watched carefully.
“Take out the black drive.”
I pulled it free.
“Plug it into the computer.”
Rebecca found a terminal.
The screen came alive.
A password prompt appeared.
Dad said:
“Daniel.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“What?”
“Type the name of the first person you remember from Blackwood.”
Daniel stared at the keyboard.
His fingers trembled.
Then he typed.
MICHAEL.
The screen rejected it.
Dad shook his head.
“Not him.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
He typed again.
DAD.
Rejected.
He tried another.
GRANDPA.
Rejected.
Daniel began crying.
“I don't know.”
Dad looked at him.
“Yes, you do.”
Daniel stared at the screen.
Then his expression changed.
“Mom.”
He typed it.
The screen opened.
Hundreds of files appeared.
I stared.
There were recordings.
Documents.
Photographs.
Everything.
Then one file appeared at the top.
DAVID WHITMORE.
I opened it.
A video.
My father appeared on screen.
But the footage was dated fifteen years ago.
He looked directly into the camera.
“If my sons are watching this, then I'm either dead or trapped.”
Michael whispered:
“Dad…”
The video continued.
“Your grandfather has built a network that cannot be destroyed by exposing one person.”
My father looked exhausted.
“So I created Blackwood.”
I stared.
Michael looked at me.
“He did.”
Dad continued.
“Blackwood was supposed to be a sanctuary.”
“For witnesses.”
“For vulnerable people.”
“For families trying to escape.”
“But someone inside betrayed us.”
The video paused.
Then resumed.
“I don't know who.”
My father looked toward the camera.
“But I know they have access to everything.”
“Their names.”
“Their locations.”
“Their identities.”
“Their medical records.”
I felt a chill.
Dad continued.
“If the archive is ever discovered, they will try to destroy it.”
“Do not trust anyone.”
Then he said something that made my blood freeze.
“Especially the person who tells you I am dead.”
The video ended.
I slowly turned toward my mother.
She was crying.
“I didn't know he was alive.”
Dad spoke from the bed.
“She knew.”
My mother looked at him.
“I thought you died.”
“You saw me alive.”
“I saw you for seconds.”
“Long enough.”
She looked down.
“I was afraid.”
Dad's voice softened.
“You should have been.”
I looked at my father.
“Who kept you here?”
He didn't answer.
Michael did.
“Grandfather.”
Dad shook his head.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
“Then who?”
Dad looked at me.
“The person who took over Blackwood after your grandfather disappeared.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Who?”
Dad looked toward the monitor.
A file was highlighted.
ADMINISTRATOR.
I opened it.
A photograph appeared.
The face was familiar.
Too familiar.
I stared at the screen.
My hands went cold.
“No.”
Michael leaned closer.
He stopped breathing.
Daniel looked at the photograph.
Then whispered:
“That's him.”
I stared.
The man in the photograph was Detective Harris.
The same man who had been standing beside us all night.
The same man who had claimed to be investigating my mother.
The same man who had arrested Mark.
The same man who had led us into Blackwood.
I slowly turned around.
Detective Harris was standing in the doorway.
His gun was pointed at us.
His expression was calm.
“I'm sorry.”
My father closed his eyes.
Harris smiled.
“David.”
My mother screamed:
“You!”
Harris looked at her.
“You should have stayed quiet.”
She stepped backward.
“You told me he was dead.”
“I told you what you needed to hear.”
“You used me.”
“Of course.”
I stared at him.
“You've been controlling everything.”
Harris smiled.
“Not everything.”
He pointed his gun at Daniel.
“Just enough.”
Michael stepped forward.
“Put the gun down.”
Harris laughed.
“You still think you're the hero.”
He looked at me.
“Your father made the same mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“Believing evidence matters.”
He pulled out a lighter.
Then he held it over the archive drive.
“People matter.”
He dropped the lighter.
Flames touched the papers.
My father shouted:
“RUN!”
The archive caught fire.
Smoke filled the room.
Harris backed toward the door.
“By sunrise, there will be no Blackwood.”
I grabbed Daniel.
Michael grabbed Dad.
Rebecca pulled Sarah toward the exit.
But before we escaped, Harris stopped.
He looked at me.
“One more thing.”
He smiled.
“Your grandfather never disappeared.”
I stared at him.
“He's been alive this entire time.”
“Where?”
Harris's smile widened.
Then he pointed toward my father.
“Ask him.”
The door slammed shut.
The fire spread across the archive.
And my father whispered:
“Your grandfather is coming for Daniel.”
Then we heard footsteps above us.
Hundreds of them.
May you like
Someone had just entered Blackwood.
And they were coming downstairs.
