Chapter 4 - The Fire in the Garage
Elijah ran.
Mason was already inside.
By the time Elijah reached the garage, he smelled gasoline.
“Mason!”
Mason turned.
For one second, neither moved.
Then Mason dropped the can.
“It's not what you think.”
Elijah almost laughed.
“You broke into my garage carrying gasoline.”
“I got a security alert.”
“This is my security system.”
Mason looked toward the door.
Elijah blocked it.
“Why are you here?”
“To protect you.”
“From what?”
“Hannah Cole.”
Elijah's blood chilled.
“How do you know Hannah is here?”
Mason didn't answer.
Elijah stepped closer.
“Did you follow her?”
“No.”
“Did you break into her apartment?”
“No.”
“Did you intercept Thomas Cole's letters?”
Mason's expression changed.
There.
A fraction of a second.
Enough.
“You did.”
Mason sighed.
“You don't understand what Rebecca found.”
“Then explain it.”
“She found a system that existed before Brooks Continental acquired Midland.”
“NOAH.”
Mason's eyes narrowed.
“So you opened the drive.”
“You knew about it.”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Six years.”
Elijah felt physically ill.
“Why?”
“Because dismantling it overnight would have destroyed the company.”
“You hid criminal activity from me.”
“I contained it.”
“You profited from it?”
“No.”
“Rebecca discovered it.”
“Yes.”
“And you stopped her.”
Mason's voice hardened.
“I tried to stop her from destroying everything you built.”
Elijah's fists tightened.
“Did you kill my wife?”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
“Who did?”
“I don't know.”
“Lie again and you leave here in handcuffs.”
Mason looked toward the house.
“You need to understand something. Rebecca wasn't only investigating NOAH. She discovered someone had restarted it after we shut it down.”
“Who?”
“I never found out.”
“Daniel?”
“No.”
“You're sure?”
“Yes.”
“Then why was his authorization on her vehicle?”
“Because someone wanted you to think it was Daniel.”
Elijah stared.
Mason continued.
“Rebecca called me the week she died. She believed someone was framing your brother.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because after she died, I thought whoever killed her would come after you.”
“So you buried everything.”
“I buried what I could.”
“You buried my wife.”
Mason flinched.
Elijah pointed toward the gasoline.
“What were you burning?”
Mason looked defeated.
“Old maintenance records.”
“Why?”
“Because whoever restarted NOAH is still active.”
Elijah's phone rang.
Hannah.
He answered.
“Elijah.”
Her voice shook.
“What?”
“Someone took Noah.”
Everything inside him stopped.
He ran.
By the time he reached the living room, Margaret was crying.
The blanket lay on the floor.
The back service door stood open.
“Hannah?”
“I turned around for five seconds.”
Security alarms screamed.
Elijah checked cameras.
A figure moved through the garden carrying Noah.
He ran outside.
Hannah followed barefoot.
“Elijah!”
They reached the side gate.
Open.
Beyond it, a vehicle accelerated away.
Hannah screamed Noah's name.
Elijah grabbed his phone.
His security chief answered.
“Lock every gate. Track every vehicle.”
“Sir, one vehicle exited ninety seconds ago using executive authorization.”
“Whose?”
Silence.
“Sir…”
“Whose authorization?”
“Yours.”
Elijah stared at the disappearing taillights.
Someone had his credentials.
Someone had access to his home.
Rebecca had warned him.
He has access to the house.
Elijah looked at Hannah.
“We'll find him.”
Her face crumpled.
Then her phone buzzed.
A photograph arrived.
Noah.
Alive.
Wrapped in the cream blanket.
Underneath:
BRING REBECCA'S DRIVE TO MIDLAND WAREHOUSE 6.
COME ALONE.
Hannah looked at Elijah.
A second message appeared.
May you like
And this time, it contained a name.
Daniel Brooks.
