Chapter 5 - THE MAN WITH DANIEL'S FACEThe hallway was chaos.

Emergency lights flashed.

Patients screamed.

Doctors crouched behind walls.

Security officers exchanged fire with two men near the elevator.

Dad pulled me into a stairwell.

“Down,” he ordered.

“Mason is upstairs.”

“Not anymore.”

“What?”

“I moved him.”

“When?”

“Before the lights went out.”

My heart pounded.

“Where?”

“Basement evacuation ward.”

We ran.

Then footsteps thundered above us.

Someone was following.

Dad stopped.

“Don't move.”

I held my breath.

A shadow passed beneath the stairwell door.

The footsteps continued.

Dad waited five seconds.

Then he opened the door.

We entered the next corridor.

A nurse rushed toward us.

“Mr. Hale?”

I looked up.

“Where is my son?”

Her face was pale.

“They took him.”

Everything inside me went numb.

“Who?”

“Two men.”

“When?”

“Three minutes ago.”

Dad grabbed the nurse's shoulders.

“Which direction?”

“Loading dock.”

My father moved.

I followed.

“Dad!”

We reached the loading area.

A black SUV stood outside.

Engine running.

The rear doors slammed shut.

Someone sat in the driver's seat.

Daniel.

My husband looked at me through the windshield.

Our eyes met.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then Daniel stepped out.

“Claire.”

My father's gun appeared instantly.

“Where is Mason?”

Daniel raised his hands.

“I didn't take him.”

“Where is my son?”

Daniel looked toward the SUV.

“I came to get you.”

I laughed.

The sound was broken.

“You came to get me?”

“Yes.”

“After leaving me under a beam?”

“Claire, listen.”

“You told them I was fine.”

“I was wrong.”

“No.”

I stepped closer.

“You weren't wrong.”

Daniel's face tightened.

“You chose Vanessa.”

“I was trying to save her.”

“You left your son.”

His eyes dropped.

“I know.”

“No, Daniel. You don't.”

I pointed toward the hospital.

“You don't know what it feels like to hear your child struggling to breathe while his father tells strangers he is fine.”

He looked devastated.

For one second, I saw guilt.

Then fear returned.

“Claire, I need you to trust me.”

I almost slapped him.

Instead I whispered:

“Why?”

“Because the earthquake wasn't random.”

“I know.”

His head snapped up.

“You know?”

“My father told me.”

Daniel's face changed.

“What else did he tell you?”

“That you own this hotel.”

Silence.

Daniel looked away.

Then he said:

“Yes.”

“And that the annex was scheduled for demolition.”

“Yes.”

“And that Mason is the target.”

Daniel's face went white.

“Who told you that?”

“Vanessa.”

His eyes narrowed.

“She's lying.”

“Is she?”

“Yes.”

“Then tell me the truth.”

Daniel hesitated.

My father stepped closer.

“You have ten seconds.”

Daniel looked at him.

“They are coming for the boy.”

“Who?”

“I don't know.”

My father shook his head.

“You knew enough to leave your wife and child behind.”

Daniel's voice cracked.

“They gave me a choice.”

“What choice?”

Daniel looked at me.

“They said they'd kill Mason if I warned you.”

I froze.

“What?”

Daniel's lips trembled.

“They threatened him weeks ago.”

“Then why did you act like you didn't care?”

“Because they were watching me.”

“Who?”

“I don't know their names.”

My father stared at him.

“You expect us to believe that?”

Daniel stepped toward me.

“They made me sign documents.”

“What documents?”

“Transfer agreements.”

“Transferring what?”

“Your father's archive.”

I looked at Dad.

He was stunned.

Daniel continued.

“They wanted the archive.”

“So they used Mason to control you.”

“Yes.”

I felt a strange relief.

Then I remembered Vanessa.

“How does Vanessa fit into this?”

Daniel looked toward the parking lot.

“She isn't my assistant.”

“Then who is she?”

“She was assigned to me.”

“By whom?”

Daniel whispered:

“The Mercer family.”

Dad went rigid.

“She's Victor Mercer's daughter.”

Daniel nodded.

“And she's been using you this whole time?”

“Yes.”

My father raised his gun.

“Then why did you carry her out first?”

Daniel stared at the ground.

“Because she was the only person who knew where they had taken the archive.”

My stomach turned.

“Where?”

Daniel looked at me.

“Inside your family home.”

My father's expression changed.

“What?”

Daniel nodded.

“They went there this afternoon.”

I felt cold.

“Mom.”

Dad immediately reached for his phone.

No signal.

Daniel looked at the hospital.

“There's another problem.”

“What?”

He swallowed.

“The men who took Mason aren't working for Mercer.”

Dad stared at him.

“Who are they?”

Daniel looked at me.

“I saw their leader.”

“Who?”

Daniel's face became gray.

“He looked exactly like you.”

I stared.

“What?”

“Same eyes. Same face.”

My father slowly turned toward me.

“No.”

Daniel whispered:

“It's your brother.”

My heart stopped.

“But I don't have a brother.”

Dad said nothing.

Daniel's eyes filled with terror.

“I thought he died thirty years ago.”

A gunshot sounded from the loading dock.

Daniel fell backward.

Blood spread across his shirt.

I screamed.

And from behind the warehouse doors, a man's voice called out:

“Arthur…”

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A pause.

“Did you really think I was dead?”