Chapter 4 - Daniel was gone.Again.
But this time, there was no coffin.
No hospital bed.
No body.
Only blood.
A single red smear marked the white sheet.
The window was open.
The oxygen tube had been ripped away.
And beside the bed was a message written in black marker.
HE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO WAKE UP.
Detective Harris stared at it.
I couldn't move.
“Where is my husband?”
Nobody answered.
The hospital security footage was pulled immediately.
The camera outside Daniel's room showed a nurse entering at 2:13 a.m.
At 2:17, the lights flickered.
At 2:18, the corridor went dark.
At 2:22, they came back.
Daniel was gone.
So was the nurse.
Her name was Elena Brooks.
She had worked at the hospital for twelve years.
No criminal record.
No disciplinary issues.
No reason to disappear.
Harris ordered an alert.
Then I noticed something.
The black marker message on the wall.
I stepped closer.
There was a tiny symbol underneath.
Three circles connected by a line.
I had seen it before.
On the red box.
On the USB drive.
On Daniel's old watch.
“Detective.”
He turned.
“That symbol.”
“What about it?”
“It's been in my house.”
He looked closely.
His expression hardened.
“Renee, do you know what your husband actually did for a living?”
“My husband owns a logistics company.”
“That is his cover.”
My throat tightened.
“What?”
Daniel hadn't been hiding a small secret.
He had been hiding an entire life.
Harris pulled me aside.
“Five years ago, a federal financial investigation uncovered a network moving money through shell companies across six countries.”
“Money laundering?”
“Much bigger.”
“How big?”
“Billions.”
I stared at him.
“And Daniel?”
“His name appeared once.”
“Once?”
“Then the file disappeared.”
“Who made it disappear?”
“No idea.”
“Project Orpheus?”
Harris nodded.
“Possibly.”
Before I could ask more, my phone rang.
This time, it was Daniel.
I stared at the screen.
Harris reached for it.
“Don't answer.”
I pressed accept.
“Daniel?”
Silence.
Then breathing.
“Renee.”
His voice.
Weak.
Terrified.
“Where are you?”
“I can't tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because they're watching.”
“Who?”
A pause.
“Your brother.”
I closed my eyes.
“What happened at the hospital?”
“They found me.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Daniel, you almost died.”
“I know.”
“You were in that coffin.”
“I know.”
“Did Michael drug you?”
Silence.
“Daniel.”
“Yes.”
My heart stopped.
“He did.”
“Why?”
“Because I found out what Project Orpheus really is.”
“What is it?”
His voice dropped.
“It's not a money-laundering operation.”
“Then what?”
“It's a list.”
“A list of what?”
“People who are supposed to disappear.”
I shivered.
“And your name?”
“My name was supposed to be next.”
A noise came through the phone.
Daniel breathed faster.
“Renee, listen to me.”
“I'm listening.”
“Don't trust anyone.”
“Not even Harris?”
Silence.
My stomach dropped.
“Daniel?”
“Especially the police.”
The call ended.
Harris was staring at me.
“What did he say?”
I lied.
“Nothing.”
His eyes narrowed.
Then someone screamed from the hallway.
We ran outside.
A nurse was pointing toward the stairwell.
There were bloody footprints.
Bare feet.
Leading downward.
We followed them.
The trail stopped at the basement.
A steel door stood open.
Inside was a maintenance corridor.
At the far end, a man in a dark coat was standing.
“Daniel!”
He turned.
For one second, I saw my husband's face.
Then he removed a hood.
It wasn't Daniel.
It was Lucas Vane.
The man from the photograph.
He looked at me.
“You shouldn't have opened the red box.”
Harris drew his weapon.
Lucas smiled.
“You still trust him?”
“Trust who?”
Lucas nodded toward Harris.
“You really don't know, do you?”
“What?”
Lucas took one step backward.
Then he said:
“Daniel didn't tell you the worst part.”
“What worst part?”
Lucas smiled sadly.
May you like
“He wasn't the first husband you married.”
Then the lights went out.
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