Chapter 12 - The SheriffHis name was Victor Hale.
County sheriff.
Family friend.
The man who had stood beside my father's business for decades.
The man who had spoken at my mother's funeral.
The man who had hugged me when I was seventeen.
The moment I said his name, Ben's expression changed.
“You're sure?”
“I know his voice.”
Dad looked furious.
“We have no proof.”
“We do now.”
He pointed at the recordings.
But before we could listen, headlights swept across the windows.
A vehicle stopped outside.
Black SUV.
Another car pulled behind it.
Dad turned off the lights.
Nobody moved.
Three men exited.
Victor Hale was one of them.
He stood on the porch.
Then knocked.
“Open the door.”
Dad whispered:
“Do not.”
Victor knocked again.
“I know you're in there.”
Ben looked terrified.
“How does he know?”
Dad answered:
“Because someone told him.”
We all looked at Ben.
He shook his head.
“Not me.”
Victor's voice came through the door.
“This doesn't have to end badly.”
Dad stepped forward.
“You should leave.”
Victor laughed.
“This family has been burying secrets for twenty years.”
Then his tone changed.
“Open the door.”
I looked at the hidden camera Dad had placed near the entrance.
We were recording.
Victor waited.
Then said something that changed everything.
“Your mother was never supposed to survive.”
I stopped breathing.
Dad opened the door a few inches.
Victor looked inside.
“Where is the ledger?”
Dad didn't answer.
Victor sighed.
“You don't understand the scale of this.”
“I understand enough.”
Victor looked past him.
His eyes found me.
“She's the key.”
My skin crawled.
He smiled.
“Just like her mother.”
Then a gunshot cracked from somewhere down the street.
Everyone ducked.
The SUV windows shattered.
Victor's men scattered.
Chaos erupted.
Dad pulled me toward the kitchen.
Ben grabbed Ellie’s emergency bag.
We escaped through the back door.
We ran.
Sirens began screaming.
But they weren't approaching us.
They were approaching Victor.
For the first time, I wondered whether someone else was fighting back.
We reached a safe house Dad had rented years ago.
He locked the doors.
Then turned on the television.
Breaking news.
Sheriff Victor Hale named in corruption investigation.
My heart jumped.
A second headline appeared.
Federal agents raid Hale property.
Dad looked at me.
“Someone moved before he could.”
“Who?”
He didn't know.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown.
I answered.
My mother's voice whispered:
“You have six hours.”
“Until what?”
“Until Victor realizes the raid was a trap.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He's coming for Ellie.”
May you like
The call ended.
Then the power went out.
