Chapter 6 - The Man Who Delivered the Lie
Thomas stood at the top of the stairs.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
The lantern beside Caleb flickered.
The shadows moved across Thomas's face.
I recognized him immediately.
He was the driver who brought me to Reed Hollow Ranch.
The man who told me the trouble started after people arrived.
The man who smiled when I asked if the ranch was always so dangerous.
But I never imagined he was part of the danger.
Caleb raised his gun.
"Thomas."
The older man slowly removed his hat.
"I knew this day would come."
Caleb's voice was cold.
"You brought her here."
Thomas looked at me.
"I brought who needed to come."
My stomach tightened.
"You knew who I was?"
Thomas didn't answer.
That answer was enough.
I stepped closer.
"You knew my name before I told you."
Thomas looked down.
"I knew more than your name."
Caleb moved between us.
"Stay away from her."
Thomas sighed.
"You still don't understand, do you?"
Caleb's grip tightened on the gun.
"Understand what?"
Thomas looked around the hidden room.
At Evelyn.
At the documents.
At the evidence that had been buried for years.
"That everything you thought was an accident was planned."
Nobody moved.
Evelyn's face became pale.
"You were supposed to stay away."
Thomas looked at her.
"I tried."
Her eyes narrowed.
"No."
Her voice became sharper.
"You watched."
Thomas looked away.
"I protected what I could."
Caleb laughed bitterly.
"Protected?"
He stepped forward.
"You drove Maggie here."
Thomas looked at him.
"Yes."
"You brought her into this."
"Because she was already involved."
The words hit me.
"What does that mean?"
Thomas looked at me.
For the first time, I saw sadness in his eyes.
"Maggie, your family was connected to Reed Hollow long before you arrived."
The room went silent.
I shook my head.
"No."
I didn't believe him.
I couldn't.
"My family?"
Thomas nodded.
"Your father knew Evelyn."
My breathing stopped.
I had never heard that name connected to my family.
"My father died when I was twelve."
"I know."
"Then how could he know her?"
Thomas looked toward the old documents.
"Because your father was the first person who helped Evelyn uncover what was happening here."
Caleb looked confused.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Thomas looked at him.
"Because your wife asked me not to."
Evelyn closed her eyes.
The memory clearly hurt.
"I thought if Caleb knew, they would use him."
Caleb stared at her.
"They already used me."
Her expression broke.
"I know."
The two words carried years of pain.
I looked at the documents again.
"Who are they?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Then Thomas walked toward the desk.
He picked up one of the papers.
"The people who owned this land before Caleb."
I frowned.
"This ranch has owners?"
Thomas nodded.
"Not officially."
He placed the document down.
"Officially, Caleb owns everything."
"But?"
"But there is a hidden agreement."
He pointed at the signatures.
"A contract forcing every family here to obey certain rules."
I looked at him.
"What kind of rules?"
Thomas's face became serious.
"Rules about who can live here."
The answer made no sense.
Then I remembered the note.
Asset recovered.
I remembered Anna's name.
I remembered the six tickets.
"Anna."
Everyone looked at me.
Thomas's expression changed.
"You found out."
Evelyn stepped forward.
"Tell her."
Thomas hesitated.
"She deserves the truth."
Caleb looked between them.
"What are you talking about?"
Thomas looked at the stairs.
"Anna wasn't found by accident."
The room became colder.
"Years ago, Evelyn discovered a hidden operation."
Caleb stared.
"What operation?"
Thomas lowered his voice.
"Children were being moved through Reed Hollow."
My heart dropped.
"No."
Evelyn nodded slowly.
"That is why I needed the tickets."
Caleb looked at her.
"You were trying to save them."
"Yes."
"All of them?"
Evelyn looked down.
"I saved seven."
A horrible silence followed.
I thought about the children upstairs.
Their fear.
Their silence.
The way they acted like losing people was normal.
Thomas continued.
"Anna was the last child."
Caleb shook his head.
"No."
Thomas looked at him.
"You remember the night you found her."
Caleb froze.
The color disappeared from his face.
I looked at him.
"What night?"
He didn't answer.
Evelyn did.
"The night Caleb found Anna near the old train tracks."
My eyes widened.
"She wasn't your daughter?"
Caleb looked like the words physically hurt him.
"I didn't know."
Evelyn stepped closer.
"Caleb found a little girl alone in the snow."
Thomas continued.
"She had nothing except a necklace and a piece of paper."
"What paper?"
Thomas looked at Evelyn.
Evelyn reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a small folded note.
My hands went cold.
Because I recognized the handwriting.
It was the same handwriting as the notes in the office.
Evelyn opened it.
The message was short.
"Keep her safe until Maggie arrives."
I stared.
My name.
Again.
Before I ever came here.
"Why?"
Nobody answered.
Because nobody knew.
Or because they were afraid to tell me.
Then a sound came from upstairs.
A scream.
A child's scream.
Caleb reacted instantly.
"Anna."
He ran toward the stairs.
We followed.
The house was dark.
The children were gathered in the hallway.
Samuel was holding Clara.
Rose was crying.
And Anna was standing near the front door.
She was looking outside.
"What happened?"
Caleb rushed toward her.
Anna slowly turned.
Her face was pale.
"He came back."
Caleb stopped.
"Who?"
Anna pointed toward the window.
Nobody spoke.
I walked closer.
Outside, near the edge of the ranch, stood a man.
Watching the house.
Thomas whispered behind me.
"No."
Evelyn grabbed my arm.
Her voice shook.
"That's impossible."
The man outside lifted his head.
Even from that distance, I could see his face.
Thomas stepped backward.
"He's dead."
Caleb looked at him.
"Who is that?"
Thomas didn't answer.
Because the man outside slowly walked toward the house.
And Caleb recognized him.
His gun lowered.
May you like
His voice barely came out.
"That’s Anna's father..."
