Chapter 4 - The First Sound
Damian moved before anyone else.
Vincent drew his weapon.
Maddox raised both hands.
“I came to talk.”
“You entered my house.”
“Your security let me.”
Damian looked at Vincent.
Vincent’s face hardened.
That meant someone inside Mercer House had authorized Maddox.
Maddox smiled at Elena.
“You found the bracelet trail.”
“What did you do to Lily?”
“Nothing.”
“Is she alive?”
Maddox’s smile faded.
“I don’t know.”
Elena lunged toward him.
Damian caught her.
“Tell me!”
Maddox looked at Noah.
The boy had followed them.
His face changed.
Recognition.
Noah dropped Captain Buttons.
Then screamed.
Not a word.
A raw sound.
He ran behind Elena.
She knelt and wrapped her arms around him.
Maddox went pale.
Damian saw it.
“You know my son.”
“No.”
Noah pointed.
His hand shook violently.
Then one word tore from him.
“Bad.”
Everyone froze.
Noah pointed directly at Maddox.
“Bad.”
Damian’s entire expression changed.
Maddox backed toward the door.
“Listen—”
Damian hit him.
Once.
Maddox collapsed.
“Eight months,” Damian said. “My son has been silent for eight months.”
Maddox spat blood.
“I wasn’t there when Rebecca died.”
“But he knows you.”
Maddox said nothing.
Damian crouched.
“What did he see?”
“Ask your wife.”
“She’s dead.”
“That’s what they wanted you to believe about everything.”
Elena’s stomach turned.
“Everything?”
Maddox looked at her.
“St. Catherine’s ran an illegal program. Wealthy families paid for priority cardiac transplants. Records were altered. Children without money were moved down lists.”
Elena stared.
“Lily.”
“I don’t know what happened to Lily.”
“You have her photograph.”
“Someone mailed it to me.”
“Who?”
“Evelyn Hart.”
Elena went still.
“My mother?”
“She’s alive.”
The room tilted.
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
Damian grabbed Maddox.
“What did Rebecca discover?”
“That Noah’s medical records were being used.”
“For what?”
“To hide another child.”
Damian released him.
“What child?”
Maddox smiled grimly.
“That’s what Rebecca died trying to find.”
Noah began signing rapidly.
Elena watched.
Mom.
Kitchen.
Man.
Bottle.
Mom falls.
Elena’s blood chilled.
She looked at Damian.
“Rebecca didn’t just collapse.”
His eyes sharpened.
“What did he say?”
Elena hesitated.
“Tell me.”
“Noah remembers a man in the kitchen.”
Damian looked at his son.
Noah pointed at Maddox.
Maddox shook his head.
“Not me.”
Noah shook his head too.
Then pointed upstairs.
Someone in the house.
Damian slowly looked around the basement.
Mrs. Whitmore.
Vincent.
Evan.
Elena.
The guards.
One of them had been there.
Noah tugged Elena’s sleeve.
He signed a single letter.
V.
Elena looked at Vincent.
Damian saw her expression.
“What?”
Noah signed again.
V.
Vincent’s face became unreadable.
Damian whispered his name.
“Vincent?”
Before Vincent could answer, every light in Mercer House went out.
A gunshot exploded in the darkness.
Elena covered Noah.
Damian shouted.
Emergency lights flickered on.
Maddox lay on the floor.
May you like
Blood spread beneath him.
And Vincent Hale was gone.
