Chapter 6
Everything happened fast after that.
I told the security guards to lock down the house. All gates closed. All doors locked. All cameras active.
Lucas ran outside to get Mia and Tommy. He pulled them inside, their faces pale with fear, the laughter gone from their eyes.
"Who are those men?" Mia whispered, clinging to Lucas's arm.
"Bad men," Lucas said. "But they can't get in. The gates are too high. The guards will protect us."
But I could see the doubt in his eyes. The same doubt I felt.
I went to the front window and watched the men. They didn't try to get in. They just stood there, looking up at the house. Then one of them raised his hand and waved.
Slowly. Deliberately.
A chill ran down my spine. He knew we were watching.
I pulled out my phone and called my head of security.
"Get more men here," I said. "Now. And call the police."
"The police?" he said. "Arthur, with all due respect, if these men are working for Voss—"
"Call them anyway," I said. "I want everything documented. Every license plate. Every face. I want a paper trail a mile long."
I hung up and turned to the children. They were huddled together in the living room, Mia and Tommy clinging to Lucas, Ella sleeping peacefully in her car seat, completely unaware of the danger.
"Listen to me," I said, kneeling down so I was eye level with them. "Those men can't get in. This house is like a fortress. We have guards and cameras and locks. You're safe here."
Tommy's lip trembled. "I want my mommy."
My heart broke. I pulled him into a hug. He was small and thin and trembling.
"I know," I said softly. "I know you do. But I'm here now. And I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Mia came over and joined the hug. Then Lucas. For a moment, we just stood there, holding each other, a family of strangers bound together by tragedy and hope.
The police arrived twenty minutes later. Two officers in uniform. They talked to the men outside the gate, then came up to the house.
I met them at the door.
"Officers," I said. "Those men have been parked outside my gate for over an hour. They're trespassing. And I believe they mean to do my family harm."
One of the officers—a young man with a bored expression—looked at me like I was crazy. "Sir, those men say they're private investigators. They have a warrant to search the premises for missing children."
My blood ran cold. "What?"
He handed me a piece of paper. It was a warrant, all right. Signed by a judge I'd never heard of. Claiming that four missing children were believed to be on my property.
"This is a farce," I said. "Those children are here because their parents were murdered by the same men who sent these so-called investigators. They're safe here."
"Sir," the other officer said. "We have a warrant. We need to come in and verify that the children are safe and well-cared for."
I wanted to refuse. To tell them to get off my property. But I knew that would only make things worse. Voss wanted me to fight. He wanted me to look like the villain.
"Fine," I said, stepping aside. "Come in. But you're not taking those children anywhere."
The officers walked inside. They found the children huddled in the living room. Lucas stood protectively in front of his siblings, his jaw set, his eyes burning with defiance.
One of the officers knelt down. "Hi there. I'm Officer Martinez. Can you tell me your names?"
Mia and Tommy hid behind Lucas.
Lucas spoke for them. "I'm Lucas. These are my brother and sister, Tommy and Mia. And the baby is Ella."
"Lucas," Officer Martinez said gently. "We've been looking for you. Your extended family has been worried sick."
Lucas's eyes narrowed. "We don't have any extended family. Our parents were only children. Their parents are dead."
The officer's smile faltered slightly. "Well, there are distant relatives—"
"No," Lucas said. His voice was strong. Steady. "These men killed our parents. They want Ella. They want to experiment on her. They paid you to come here and take us, didn't they?"
The officers exchanged a look.
"Son," the other officer said. "No one paid us. We're just here to make sure you're safe."
"Then leave us alone," Lucas said. "We're safe here. Arthur is taking care of us."
I stepped forward. "Officers, as you can see, the children are well-cared for. They're fed. They have beds. They're safe. If you'd like to contact child protective services, I'd be happy to cooperate with them. But these children are not going anywhere with men who work for Richard Voss."
The name hung in the air.
The officers' faces went slightly pale. They knew who Voss was. Everyone did.
"We'll be in touch," Officer Martinez said. He stood up. "But for now, the children can stay here. We'll need to verify your claims, of course."
"Of course," I said.
I walked them to the door. Outside, the men in the black SUV were still there. Watching. Waiting.
As soon as the officers left, I turned to my head of security.
"I want those men followed," I said. "Everywhere they go. I want to know where they sleep. Where they eat. Who they talk to. And I want to know exactly when Voss is going to make his next move."
He nodded and hurried away.
I walked back into the living room. The children were still huddled together, fear in their eyes.
I knelt down in front of them.
"Listen to me," I said. "That was just the first move. Voss tried to use the police to take you. When that didn't work, he'll try something else. Something worse."
Lucas nodded. "I know."
"But we're going to be ready," I said. "Tomorrow morning, we're going to fight back. We're going to take everything Voss has. And we're going to make him pay for what he did to your parents."
Mia looked up at me. "How?"
I smiled. It was a cold smile. A dangerous smile.
"With the truth," I said.
That night, I sat in my study, going through everything my lawyer had sent me about GenSys and Voss. The man was a monster. He'd built his empire on the suffering of others. Illegal trials. Stolen research. Bribes. Threats. Murders.
And now he wanted a baby.
I heard a soft knock on the door. Lucas stood in the doorway, holding Ella.
"She wouldn't sleep," he said. "She keeps fussing."
I held out my arms. "Let me try."
Lucas hesitated, then carefully handed Ella to me. She was warm and soft, her small face scrunched up in discomfort. I rocked her gently, just like my wife used to rock our nieces and nephews.
"Shhh," I whispered. "It's okay, little one. You're safe here."
Slowly, Ella calmed down. Her eyes fluttered closed. Her breathing became steady and deep.
Lucas watched me, a look of wonder on his face.
"You're good with her," he said.
I smiled sadly. "My wife... she always wanted children. We tried for years, but... it never happened. Then the accident took her, and I thought I'd lost everything."
I looked down at Ella. At the miracle sleeping in my arms.
"But then you came along," I said. "And she gave me my legs back. And you gave me something I thought I'd lost forever."
"What's that?" Lucas asked.
"A reason to live," I said.
Lucas sat down in the chair across from my desk. For a long time, we just sat in silence, watching Ella sleep.
"Arthur," Lucas said finally. "When we fight Voss... are we going to win?"
May you like
I looked at this brave boy who'd been through hell and still found the strength to protect his family. I thought about my wife. About the second chance Ella had given me.
"Yes," I said. "We're going to win."
