Chapter 5 - The Night Ryan Disappeared
Olivia pulled at the door.
Locked.
Adrian looked through the window.
No one was visible.
“Back away.”
She moved.
Leo checked the rear exit.
“Locked too.”
Adrian looked at Olivia.
“Stay close.”
A sound came from the kitchen.
Something heavy hit the floor.
Olivia whispered:
“Someone is here.”
Adrian nodded.
They moved slowly.
The kitchen was empty.
But a laptop sat open on the counter.
The screen showed Ryan.
Live.
He was sitting in a dark room.
Olivia rushed forward.
“Ryan!”
His head lifted.
“Liv?”
Tears filled her eyes.
“Where are you?”
Ryan looked terrified.
“I don't know.”
“Who has you?”
He looked toward something off-screen.
“Listen to me.”
Adrian stepped closer.
Ryan saw him.
“You found Adrian.”
Olivia looked between them.
“You knew him?”
Ryan nodded.
“He's the only person I trusted.”
Olivia's throat tightened.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because if you knew, they would know.”
“Who?”
Ryan looked directly into the camera.
“Mom.”
Olivia froze.
“Mom?”
Ryan nodded.
“She's not the person you think she is.”
Olivia shook her head.
“She helped Felix.”
“I know.”
“She was with him.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
Ryan closed his eyes.
“Because she thought she was protecting you.”
Olivia didn't understand.
Ryan continued.
“Dad discovered Felix was using our family's accounts to move money. He tried to expose him.”
“Then why did Dad die?”
Ryan hesitated.
“Because Mom made a deal.”
Olivia stopped breathing.
“She gave Felix access to the records.”
Adrian asked:
“What did Felix promise her?”
Ryan looked at him.
“To keep Olivia alive.”
Olivia felt sick.
“My mother traded my father.”
Ryan shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at Olivia.
“She thought Dad was going to have you killed.”
“What?”
“Felix told her Dad had enemies. He convinced her that giving him the records was the only way to protect you.”
Olivia sat down.
Everything she knew was collapsing.
“Did Mom know Dad would die?”
Ryan didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
A noise came from Ryan's room.
He looked away.
“Ryan?”
Someone entered behind him.
The video froze.
Then the screen went black.
Olivia screamed his name.
Adrian grabbed the laptop.
“Leo.”
“Already tracing it.”
Olivia turned toward Adrian.
“You promised me the truth.”
“I gave you what I knew.”
“Then find him.”
“I will.”
She stepped closer.
“You said Ryan contacted you.”
“Yes.”
“What did he ask you to do?”
Adrian looked at her.
“Protect you.”
“Why?”
“Because he believed Felix wasn't the only person looking for you.”
“Who else?”
Adrian hesitated.
Then said:
“Someone inside your mother's circle.”
Olivia's phone rang.
Her mother.
She answered.
“Where are you?”
Her mother sounded terrified.
“Olivia, don't go home.”
“Where is Ryan?”
Silence.
“Mom.”
“I tried to fix it.”
“What did you do?”
“I told Felix where you were.”
Olivia's face went numb.
“What?”
“I thought he would take you somewhere safe.”
“You sent him after me?”
“I didn't know what else to do.”
Adrian reached for the phone.
Olivia pulled it away.
Her mother continued:
“Your father left something else.”
“What?”
“A key.”
“To what?”
“The old family house.”
Olivia stared.
“We sold that house.”
“No.”
Her mother's voice cracked.
“We never sold it.”
The call ended.
Adrian looked at Olivia.
“You're going there.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
She stared at him.
“My brother may be there.”
“Which is exactly why it may be a trap.”
“I don't care.”
Adrian studied her.
Then he nodded.
“Fine.”
They drove to the old house.
The place had been abandoned for years.
The front door was unlocked.
Olivia stepped inside.
Dust covered everything.
Family photographs still hung on the walls.
She walked toward the staircase.
A floorboard creaked.
Someone had recently been there.
Adrian noticed muddy footprints.
They led upstairs.
Olivia followed.
At the end of the hallway was her father's old study.
The door was open.
Inside stood her mother.
Olivia stopped.
“Mom?”
Her mother turned.
She looked exhausted.
“I knew you'd come.”
Olivia stepped forward.
“Where is Ryan?”
Her mother looked at Adrian.
Then back at Olivia.
“He's alive.”
Olivia almost collapsed with relief.
“Where?”
Her mother pointed toward the locked wall safe.
“Behind that.”
Olivia frowned.
“What?”
Her mother whispered:
“Ryan isn't the only thing your father hid.”
May you like
Then the safe door clicked.
And began opening by itself.
