Chapter 8: The Price of the Trust
My mother screamed Lily's name.
She lunged toward the phone in Victor's hand, but Dad caught her before she could reach him.
"Where is she?"" Elena shouted.
Victor calmly watched the chaos.
"London.""
"You hurt my daughter!""
"No.""
He tilted the phone.
"Not yet.""
On the screen, Lily sat in a dim room with her hands tied behind a chair.
Her face was pale.
But she was conscious.
She looked directly into the camera.
Then she saw me.
Her eyes widened.
"Daniel?""
My chest tightened.
"Yes.""
Victor smiled.
"Finally.""
Lily's voice shook.
"Is that really you?""
I stepped toward the phone.
"Yes.""
She swallowed.
"I knew you'd come.""
My mother began crying again.
"Lily, sweetheart, I'm here.""
Lily stared at the screen.
"Mom?""
Elena covered her mouth.
"It's me.""
For a moment, nobody moved.
Lily's tears began to fall.
"I thought you were dead.""
"So did I.""
Victor lowered the phone.
"Enough.""
Dad stepped forward.
"You don't get to use them against us.""
Victor looked at him.
"Actually, Mark, that's exactly what I get to do.""
"What do you want?""
"The trust.""
"You said that.""
"Because you still don't understand.""
Victor pointed at me.
"Daniel doesn't simply have money.""
He tapped his phone.
"He has the key.""
I glanced at the silver key on the desk.
"The key?""
Victor nodded.
"The trust was designed to require three things.""
"What three things?""
"Daniel's DNA.""
He raised one finger.
"Elena's verification.""
A second finger.
"And the original key.""
A third.
My father's face hardened.
"But Elena doesn't have the verification.""
Victor smiled.
"She does.""
My mother shook her head.
"No.""
Victor looked at her.
"You carried it for twelve years.""
Elena stared at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about.""
"Your wedding ring.""
Her face went still.
Everyone looked at the silver ring on her finger.
Victor smiled.
"Take it off.""
Elena stepped backward.
"No.""
"It contains the verification chip.""
She stared at the ring.
"I was told it was just a ring.""
Victor shrugged.
"You were told many things.""
Dad looked at Elena.
"Give it to me.""
She shook her head.
"What if he's lying?""
Victor laughed.
"Then test it.""
Dad looked at the ring.
Then at the key.
Then at the phone displaying Lily.
"How do we know you'll let them go?""
Victor's expression became cold.
"You don't.""
Dad's fists clenched.
"You expect us to trust you.""
"No.""
Victor shook his head.
"I expect you to understand how little choice you have.""
Lily suddenly spoke from the phone.
"Dad?""
Victor turned.
She looked frightened.
"Don't give him anything.""
Victor grabbed her shoulder.
"Quiet.""
Dad stepped forward.
"Take your hand off her.""
Victor squeezed harder.
Lily winced.
Dad's expression changed instantly.
"Stop.""
Victor released her.
"Then cooperate.""
He turned toward me.
"Daniel, you have one hour.""
"One hour for what?""
"To get on a plane.""
"Where?""
"London.""
Dad immediately said, "No.""
Victor looked at him.
"You can stay.""
"Not a chance.""
"You misunderstand. You're not invited.""
Dad took a step toward him.
"I don't care.""
Victor raised the phone.
On the screen, another man appeared behind Lily.
He leaned toward her.
Dad froze.
Victor said quietly,
"If you try anything before Daniel arrives, she dies.""
My mother collapsed into a chair.
I looked at my father.
"Dad.""
He turned.
"Don't.""
"I have to go.""
"No.""
"She's my sister.""
"I know.""
"Then you know I can't leave her there.""
Dad shook his head.
"I've already lost your mother once. I'm not losing you too.""
My mother grabbed my arm.
"Please.""
I knelt beside her.
"Mom.""
"I just found you.""
Her voice broke.
"Don't disappear again.""
"I won't.""
She stared into my eyes.
"You don't know what they will do.""
"I know.""
"But you still want to go.""
I looked at the screen.
Lily was crying silently.
"Yes.""
Dad closed his eyes.
Then he nodded once.
"Then I'm coming with you.""
Victor laughed.
"I told you—"
"I don't care.""
Dad looked at him.
"You want Daniel?""
He pointed at himself.
"You get me too.""
Victor studied him.
For the first time, his smile faded.
"Fine.""
Diane suddenly spoke.
"I'm coming.""
Dad turned sharply.
"No.""
"You'll need someone who understands the company.""
"We don't need you.""
"You will.""
Diane stepped closer.
"I know where the original records are.""
My father stared at her.
"What original records?""
"The trust documents.""
Ethan interrupted.
"You mean the originals Victor never destroyed.""
Diane nodded.
"They're in London.""
Victor looked annoyed.
"How do you know?""
Diane met his eyes.
"Because I moved them.""
Dad stared at her.
"You what?""
"I was trying to hide them.""
"From whom?""
"From your uncle.""
Victor's face darkened.
"You betrayed me.""
Diane shook her head.
"I never belonged to you.""
Victor's jaw tightened.
"Careful.""
She stepped toward him.
"I spent twelve years cleaning up your family's mess.""
"Your family's mess," Dad corrected.
Diane looked at him.
"Exactly.""
Then she turned toward me.
"I owe you the truth.""
My father stared.
"What truth?""
Diane took a breath.
"I wasn't the one who left your lunch empty today.""
I frowned.
"What?""
She looked ashamed.
"Someone told me to do it.""
Dad's expression hardened.
"Who?""
"Victor.""
Everyone stared at him.
Victor didn't deny it.
"Why?""
Diane looked at me.
"Because he needed your father angry.""
I felt a chill.
"Why?""
"Because he knew anger would make Mark question everything.""
Dad went still.
"It was bait.""
Diane nodded.
"The lunch. The envelope. The photograph.""
She looked at me.
"All of it was designed to bring you here.""
I swallowed.
"Here?""
"To this room.""
Ethan's face changed.
"What did you activate when you opened the safe?""
Dad looked at him.
"I don't know.""
Ethan walked toward the safe.
He examined the lock.
"Wait.""
He reached inside.
Behind the bankbook was a tiny blinking light.
"This is a transmitter.""
Dad frowned.
"What does that mean?""
"It means they know exactly where we are.""
A second later, headlights swept across the small basement windows.
Ethan rushed to the tunnel entrance.
"We've got company.""
My father's hand went to my shoulder.
"How many?""
"At least four.""
Victor looked irritated.
"That wasn't supposed to happen.""
Ethan turned toward him.
"You brought them.""
"No.""
Victor looked at me.
"Someone else did.""
Dad stepped forward.
"Who?""
Victor stared at the blinking device.
Then suddenly his face changed.
"They found the trust.""
"Who?""
Victor didn't answer.
The basement lights went out.
Complete darkness.
A gunshot cracked through the tunnel.
My mother screamed.
Dad shoved me down.
"Stay low!""
Another shot.
Glass shattered.
Someone shouted from the passage.
"Find the boy!""
My father grabbed my wrist.
"Run!""
We raced through the hidden tunnel.
I could hear footsteps behind us.
Elena was beside me.
Diane was behind her.
Ethan stayed at the rear.
Then another gunshot.
Ethan stumbled.
I looked back.
He was bleeding from the shoulder.
"Keep going!"" he shouted.
Dad pulled me harder.
The tunnel split in two.
"Which way?"" he asked.
Diane pointed left.
"Left.""
Ethan shouted from behind.
"Right!""
Dad stopped.
"Which one?""
Diane yelled, "Right is a dead end!""
Ethan shouted back, "She's lying!""
My father looked at both of them.
Then at me.
"Daniel?""
I didn't know why, but something caught my eye on the wall.
A tiny metal symbol.
The same symbol printed on the bankbook.
An arrow.
Pointing right.
"Right.""
Dad didn't hesitate.
We turned.
Diane screamed.
"No!""
We ran.
The passage opened into an old underground garage.
Two cars were parked inside.
One was covered in dust.
The other looked new.
Dad ran toward the newer car.
A key was already hanging from the ignition.
He looked at me.
"This is too easy.""
Diane appeared at the entrance.
"Take it!""
Ethan limped into the garage.
"Go!""
Dad started the engine.
We piled inside.
Elena sat beside me.
Diane climbed into the back.
Ethan stayed behind.
Dad looked at him.
"Come with us.""
Ethan shook his head.
"Someone has to slow them down.""
Dad stared.
"You saved us.""
Ethan smiled.
"I've been trying to do that for twelve years.""
He shut the door.
Dad drove.
The garage door opened automatically.
We shot into the night.
Nobody spoke for several minutes.
Then my mother reached for my hand.
"DanieI?""
I looked at her.
"Yes?""
"There is something else you need to know.""
Dad tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"Elena.""
She ignored him.
"I wasn't alone when I disappeared.""
I frowned.
"What do you mean?""
"I was pregnant.""
I stared at her.
"Lily?""
She nodded.
"But that isn't the only child I carried.""
My heart stopped.
Dad looked at her.
"What are you saying?""
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
"When I disappeared, I was pregnant with twins.""
The car went silent.
I stared at her.
"Twins?""
She nodded.
"Lily was one.""
Her voice broke.
"And the other baby...""
She looked at me.
"...was taken before I ever got to hold him.""
Dad slammed on the brakes.
The car screeched to a stop.
Nobody moved.
Then, from the back seat, Diane whispered,
"That's why the trust was created.""
I turned around.
"What are you talking about?""
Diane looked toward the road ahead.
"Because the second child wasn't supposed to survive.""
Elena closed her eyes.
Dad stared at her.
"Who was the second child?""
Elena's lips trembled.
Then she whispered the name.
"My son.""
A phone rang.
Not Dad's.
Not mine.
Not Elena's.
Diane slowly pulled a phone from her coat.
She looked at the screen.
The caller ID showed no number.
She answered.
A man's voice said,
"You're going to London.""
Diane went pale.
He continued,
"Because your other son is waiting for you.""
The call ended.
I stared at Diane.
"Other son?""
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She looked at me.
And for the first time since I'd known her, she looked genuinely terrified.
