Chapter 12 - Beneath the MountainThey reached the mountain property just before nightfall.
Snow covered the road.
The lodge was abandoned.
Richard remembered the place from years ago.
Elena loved it.
She used to bring Noah there every winter.
Now the windows were boarded.
The front door hung open.
Inside, a fireplace still smelled faintly of smoke.
Someone had been there recently.
Richard found the red door behind the pantry.
It was locked.
Daniel entered a code.
The door opened.
Stairs descended into darkness.
Mark followed with Noah.
Richard carried the flashlight.
The tunnel stretched deep beneath the mountain.
Every few yards, cameras had been mounted along the walls.
Then they heard a sound.
A woman's voice.
Crying.
Mark ran.
Richard grabbed him.
“Wait.”
The voice came again.
“Mark?”
Mark froze.
It was Elena.
Richard pressed a button.
A speaker crackled.
“Elena!”
Her voice answered.
“Richard?”
He nearly broke down.
“Where are you?”
A pause.
“Don't trust the room with the white door.”
Richard looked ahead.
There were two doors.
One white.
One black.
Daniel whispered:
“She knows we're here.”
Then another voice appeared.
Marcus.
“You always loved following instructions, brother.”
Richard turned.
A camera above the tunnel rotated.
Marcus's face appeared on a monitor.
Older.
Scarred.
But alive.
Richard stared.
“You're coming out.”
Marcus smiled.
“You still think this ends with a confrontation.”
“Where is Elena?”
“Safe.”
“Let her go.”
Marcus laughed.
“She chose Noah over herself.”
Richard's eyes hardened.
“Bring her out.”
Marcus leaned toward the camera.
“Give me the certificate.”
Richard's hand tightened around the document.
“No.”
Marcus sighed.
“Then she stays.”
Mark stepped forward.
“I'll give you anything.”
Marcus looked at him.
“You already did.”
Mark fell silent.
Richard turned.
“What did he mean?”
Mark finally confessed.
Six months before Elena disappeared, Marcus had forced him to sign an agreement transferring control of the family's holding companies.
Mark had believed the documents were temporary.
They weren't.
Marcus used them to create debt.
Mark was legally responsible for millions in liabilities.
If he spoke, Noah would be taken away.
Richard looked at his son.
“You should have trusted me.”
“I know.”
Richard turned toward the white door.
Elena's voice sounded again.
“Richard, don't.”
Marcus interrupted.
“Open the white door.”
Richard examined it.
Then the black door.
He noticed fresh snow melt near the black door.
Footprints.
Someone had recently entered.
He chose the black door.
Marcus's smile disappeared from the monitor.
“No.”
Richard opened it.
Behind it was a control room.
Screens.
Server racks.
And a woman sitting in a chair.
Elena.
Alive.
Older.
Thinner.
Her wrists were bruised.
Mark ran to her.
“Mom!”
Noah burst into tears.
“Mommy!”
Elena turned.
For a moment she simply stared at her son.
Then Richard unlocked her restraints.
Elena fell into his arms.
Richard could barely speak.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I needed you to believe that.”
“Why?”
“Because if Marcus knew where I was, he'd move Noah.”
Richard looked toward the camera.
“Then why reveal yourself now?”
Elena looked at the monitor.
“Because the evidence is ready.”
She pointed toward the server.
“Everything Marcus did is there.”
Financial records.
Police payments.
Forged documents.
Surveillance footage.
Witness statements.
Everything.
Richard reached for the server.
Then the building shook.
Explosion.
Lights went out.
Elena grabbed Noah.
“We have to go.”
A timer appeared on the monitor.
00:09:58.
Richard stared.
“What is that?”
Elena looked at him.
“Marcus built an emergency purge system.”
The countdown began.
00:09:41.
All evidence would be destroyed.
Unless they found the override.
Elena looked toward the control panel.
“I know the password.”
Richard breathed again.
“What is it?”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
Richard froze.
“Why?”
“Because Marcus doesn't use passwords.”
May you like
She pointed at Noah.
“He uses memories.”
