PART 4 — THE STORAGE UNIT
Victor stood beneath the bridge with two men beside him.
I kept my eyes on him.
“You took my children.”
Victor smiled.
“No.”
My fists clenched.
“Then where are they?”
“I didn't take them.”
“Don't lie to me.”
He sighed.
“Your wife used to say the same thing.”
The mention of Emily made my chest tighten.
“You know where she is.”
Victor's expression remained calm.
“Better than you do.”
Daniel stepped between us.
“Give him the key.”
I looked at my brother.
“No.”
Daniel stared at me.
“Listen to me.”
“You knew Emily was alive.”
“No.”
“She said you helped them take her.”
“I didn't.”
“Then why does Victor know your name?”
Victor laughed softly.
“Because Daniel and I have known each other for twenty years.”
I turned slowly.
Daniel closed his eyes.
“It's complicated.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“It's not complicated anymore.”
Victor reached into his coat.
Daniel immediately raised his hands.
“Don't.”
Victor stopped.
“I didn't come here to hurt anyone.”
“Where are my sons?”
“Where they were taken.”
“By whom?”
“Your wife.”
I stared at him.
“My wife took my children?”
“No.”
Victor looked directly at me.
“Your wife arranged for them to be moved.”
“Why?”
“Because she knew you would eventually find the truth.”
“What truth?”
Victor pointed toward the key.
“The storage unit.”
Daniel whispered,
“Don't go.”
I turned to him.
“You said there was proof of Emily's murder.”
“There is.”
“And now you're telling me not to get it?”
“Because the people who put it there are waiting for you.”
Victor nodded.
“Finally, he understands.”
I looked between them.
“You're both hiding something.”
“Yes,” Victor said.
“What?”
“That you're not the man you think you are.”
Before I could respond, my phone vibrated.
A video had arrived.
I opened it.
My sons appeared on the screen.
They were sitting in a room.
Behind them was a wall covered with photographs.
But this time I recognized the place.
My father's old hunting house.
Mason looked into the camera.
“Dad, please.”
Then Caleb pointed behind him.
“There's someone here.”
The camera moved.
A shadow passed across the doorway.
Then the video ended.
I looked at Victor.
“Take me to the storage unit.”
Daniel grabbed my arm.
“I'll come.”
“No.”
“I have to.”
“Why?”
He looked at the key.
“Because your wife didn't leave that evidence for you.”
“Who did?”
Daniel hesitated.
“My father.”
My blood went cold.
“You mean Dad?”
He nodded.
“He knew someone was stealing from the company long before Emily discovered it.”
“Why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he didn't trust you.”
I stared at him.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“You were seventeen.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Because that's when they first noticed you.”
“Who?”
“Meridian.”
The name meant nothing to me.
Victor stepped forward.
“Now we're getting somewhere.”
“What is Meridian?”
“A network.”
“Of what?”
“Banks. Companies. Lawyers. Politicians. Investors.”
He paused.
“And people willing to kill to protect it.”
We drove to the storage facility.
The place was deserted.
Rows of metal doors stretched into darkness.
Daniel stopped in front of Unit 214.
I inserted the key.
The lock clicked.
The door rolled upward.
Inside were dozens of boxes.
Documents.
Photographs.
Hard drives.
And a large black safe.
On the wall was a single photograph.
My father.
Standing beside Victor.
I stared.
“You knew my father.”
Victor nodded.
“He saved my life once.”
“Then why did he die?”
Victor's expression hardened.
“Because he tried to expose Meridian.”
Daniel looked away.
I noticed.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Dad was murdered.”
“Yes.”
“And you let me believe it was an accident?”
Daniel whispered,
“I was protecting you.”
“From what?”
“From them.”
I stepped toward him.
“You didn't protect me.”
Daniel looked at me.
“I kept you alive.”
Silence.
Then I opened the first box.
Inside was a file marked:
DANIEL CARTER — SUBJECT 17
I stopped breathing.
“What is this?”
Daniel's face changed.
“Don't open it.”
I opened it.
The first page contained my photograph.
My childhood photograph.
Underneath it were medical records.
Blood tests.
Psychological evaluations.
School reports.
Then one sentence:
SUBJECT SHOWS NO MEMORY OF THE INCIDENT.
I looked at Daniel.
“What incident?”
He didn't answer.
I turned the page.
There was another photograph.
Me at seventeen.
Standing beside my father.
Behind us was a black vehicle.
And beside the vehicle stood a woman.
Emily.
But Emily was only seventeen too.
I stared at the photograph.
“That can't be.”
Victor spoke quietly.
“You've known your wife much longer than you remember.”
I felt dizzy.
“She was in my life before we met.”
“Yes.”
“Why don't I remember?”
Daniel whispered,
“Because they made sure you wouldn't.”
Suddenly, the storage facility lights went out.
Complete darkness.
A door slammed somewhere nearby.
Then footsteps.
Running.
I grabbed my phone.
“Who is there?”
No answer.
Then Nora screamed.
“Daniel!”
A gunshot exploded.
I turned.
Nora fell to the ground.
I rushed toward her.
But she wasn't bleeding.
She was staring at something behind me.
I turned.
Daniel was gone.
His phone lay on the floor.
Beside it was a note.
Four words.
ASK HIM ABOUT THE FIRE.
I looked at Victor.
He looked terrified.
“What fire?”
Victor swallowed.
“The fire that killed your mother.”
My entire body went cold.
Because I'd always believed my mother died peacefully in her sleep.
Victor looked at me.
“She didn't.”
Then somewhere outside, a car engine started.
And from the darkness, I heard Daniel's voice.
“Run.”
