Chapter 9 - The Mother in the Video
Nora stopped hearing the room.
Claire was alive.
That became the only thought her mind could hold.
Her mother.
Alive.
Victor lowered the phone.
Jonathan’s gun remained pointed toward Adrian, but his hand trembled violently.
Nora stepped forward.
Adrian caught her wrist.
“Nora.”
“That’s my mother.”
“I know.”
“She’s alive.”
“I know.”
Victor smiled.
“Touching.”
Nora looked at Jonathan.
“You knew?”
“Not until three weeks ago.”
“That’s why you arranged the wedding.”
“Yes.”
“You were trying to get Adrian involved.”
Jonathan’s face twisted.
“I needed someone Daniel feared.”
Adrian’s voice was low.
“You could have told me.”
“Daniel monitors you.”
“So you used Nora as bait.”
“I used the only move I had.”
Nora had heard enough.
“No more people choosing for me.”
Jonathan looked at her.
“If I hadn’t—”
“No.”
Her voice cracked like a whip.
“You disappeared. Mom lied. Marcus disappeared. Evelyn disappeared. Adrian’s family buried half their lives in secret rooms. Every one of you says you did it to protect someone.”
Nora pointed toward Victor.
“And somehow the monsters keep benefiting from all the silence.”
Nobody answered.
She looked at Victor.
“Where is she?”
“You’ll come with me.”
“No.”
Victor’s eyebrows lifted.
“I’ll come when I choose the terms.”
He laughed.
“You think you have terms?”
“Yes.”
Nora lifted Claire’s letter.
“Because Daniel needs the password.”
Victor’s smile faded.
Adrian understood immediately.
Nora continued.
“The ledger means nothing without the digital files. Claire made me the key.”
Jonathan stared at her.
“You don’t know the password.”
“Daniel doesn’t know that.”
Adrian’s expression almost showed pride.
Victor considered.
Then his phone rang.
He answered quietly.
Daniel.
After a brief conversation, Victor said, “Daniel agrees.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“I go with her.”
“That was already required.”
“Everyone else stays.”
Nora turned.
“No.”
Adrian looked at her.
“This one isn’t a debate.”
“You don’t own me.”
“No. But Daniel wants both of us, and bringing an army guarantees Claire dies.”
Marcus interrupted.
“He’s right.”
Nora hated that.
They developed a plan.
Nora and Adrian would go.
Adrian wore a hidden tracker.
Victor pretended not to notice.
That made Adrian suspicious.
Before they left, Jonathan grabbed Nora’s hand.
“I’m sorry.”
She looked at him.
“I don’t know what to do with you yet.”
“I understand.”
“No. You don’t.”
She pulled free.
Victor drove them to an abandoned waterfront warehouse.
Daniel waited inside.
Nora had seen him in business photographs.
Elegant.
Silver-haired.
Warm smile.
The kind of man who looked born to give reassuring speeches at charity dinners.
He smiled when he saw Adrian.
“Nephew.”
Adrian said nothing.
Daniel sighed.
“You always were dramatic.”
“You murdered my father.”
“Clearly not successfully.”
“You helped destroy my mother’s life.”
“She made her choices.”
“And Nora?”
Daniel looked at her.
“You’re more trouble than you were worth.”
Nora’s fear became anger.
“Where’s Claire?”
Daniel gestured.
A door opened.
Claire was pushed forward.
Nora’s knees weakened.
Older.
Alive.
Her mother stared.
Then began crying.
“Nora.”
Nora moved.
Adrian caught her shoulder.
Daniel raised a gun.
“Password first.”
Nora looked at Claire.
Her mother subtly shook her head.
Tiny movement.
Do not give him anything.
Nora swallowed.
“I need the drive.”
Daniel produced a USB.
“Password.”
Nora stalled.
“What happened to my mother?”
Daniel smiled.
“She became inconvenient.”
Claire spoke.
“I found proof Daniel killed Marcus.”
“Attempted,” Marcus’s voice said from somewhere unseen.
Daniel turned sharply.
Lights exploded.
Gunfire.
Adrian pulled Nora down.
Security flooded the warehouse.
Marcus had tracked them separately.
Daniel dragged Claire backward.
Victor fired toward security.
Jonathan appeared behind him.
Two shots.
Victor collapsed.
Jonathan took one in the shoulder.
Nora screamed.
Adrian moved toward Daniel.
Daniel pressed a gun to Claire’s temple.
“Stop.”
Everything stopped.
Adrian froze.
Daniel backed toward a side exit.
Claire’s eyes found Nora.
“Nora, listen to me.”
Daniel tightened his grip.
“Quiet.”
Claire continued.
“The password is your first home.”
Nora understood.
Blackwater.
Daniel smiled.
“Thank you.”
Claire looked at Nora.
“No.”
Not Blackwater.
First home.
Not the house.
The person.
Claire.
Nora.
Her mother had always said home was wherever they were together.
Nora typed into the laptop Daniel had left open.
CLAIREANDNORA.
Unlocked.
Files filled the screen.
Adrian saw.
So did Daniel.
His face changed.
He shoved Claire aside and fired toward Nora.
Adrian moved.
The shot cracked.
Nora screamed.
Adrian fell.
For one second, nobody moved.
Then security tackled Daniel.
Claire ran to Nora.
But Nora was already crawling toward Adrian.
Blood spread across his white shirt.
“Adrian.”
His eyes opened.
“Nora.”
“Don’t you dare.”
He almost smiled.
“Bossy.”
She pressed both hands over the wound.
Paramedics rushed in.
Adrian was lifted onto a stretcher.
Nora grabbed his hand.
He squeezed once.
Then his fingers went slack.
A medic shouted.
“We’re losing him.”
Nora followed toward the ambulance.
Behind her, Claire screamed her name.
May you like
But all Nora could see was Adrian’s blood on her hands.
Then the monitor inside the ambulance became one continuous sound.
