Chapter 3 - THE BROTHER WHO WAS BURIED|
Ethan stared at the steel door.
For eight years, Daniel Blackwell had been a name spoken only at family memorials. His death had been reported after a car explosion outside Milwaukee. The remains had been identified through dental records, and the family had held a private funeral.
Ethan had stood beside the coffin.
He had watched his father lower his head.
He had believed his brother was gone.
Now Daniel was speaking from the other side of a door beneath his own house.
"Open it!" Ethan shouted.
A quiet laugh answered him.
"Still giving orders. Some things never change."
Marcus raised his weapon.
"Sir, step back."
Ethan looked at Claire. She was struggling to remain conscious.
"Get her out."
Marcus examined the corridor.
"There may be another exit."
"Find it."
The voice outside returned.
"You should listen to me, little brother. You don't want to make this worse."
Ethan approached the door.
"Why are you here?"
"Because you invited the wrong woman into our family."
"Vanessa?"
"Vanessa is only a messenger."
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"Who is she working for?"
Daniel chuckled.
"You really don't know, do you?"
Claire caught Ethan's wrist.
"Don't listen to him."
He looked down.
"Claire, tell me what happened."
Her breathing was shallow.
"Daniel came here before I disappeared. He told me your father had left something behind. Something everyone wanted."
"What?"
"The Blackwell ledger."
Ethan had heard of it. His father had maintained a private record of every payment, agreement, and secret arrangement connected to the family. It supposedly contained enough evidence to destroy several criminal organizations and expose powerful officials.
After his father's death, the ledger had vanished.
Ethan had assumed it was stolen.
Daniel spoke through the door.
"Your wife found it. That's why she had to disappear."
Ethan looked at Claire.
"Where is it?"
"I hid it."
"Where?"
Claire shook her head.
"Not here."
Daniel struck the door.
"She knows exactly where it is."
Ethan stepped closer.
"Tell me what you want."
"Open the door."
"No."
"Then your wife stays down there."
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"She's coming out."
Daniel laughed again.
"You're still pretending this is your house."
A metallic sound came from the ceiling. Marcus looked up.
"Sir, something's moving."
A section of the ventilation duct shifted. A small canister dropped onto the floor and began releasing white vapor.
"Gas!" Marcus shouted.
Ethan pulled Claire toward the far wall and covered her mouth with his jacket. Marcus fired at the ventilation grille, but the gas continued spreading.
"There's another door!" Marcus shouted.
He found a narrow maintenance hatch behind the equipment. Ethan helped him force it open.
The passage led toward the old boiler room.
They moved quickly, supporting Claire between them. By the time they reached the stairs, she was barely conscious.
Ethan carried her the final distance.
At the top, two guards were waiting. They rushed forward with a medical kit.
"Call the doctor!" Ethan ordered.
Then he turned toward Marcus.
"Seal the cellar. Nobody enters or leaves this property without my permission."
Marcus nodded.
"What about the man behind the door?"
Ethan looked toward the floor.
"Find him."
Upstairs, the guests had been dismissed. Vanessa was standing beside the fireplace, her engagement ring still on her finger.
When Ethan entered carrying Claire, she went pale.
"Darling—"
"Don't."
He placed Claire on the sofa.
Vanessa approached cautiously.
"She's confused. She's been imprisoned. You don't know what she might say."
Ethan looked at her.
"She said Daniel is alive."
Vanessa's expression flickered.
Just once.
But Ethan saw it.
"Do you know where my brother is?"
"Of course not."
"Then why did you just look at the floor?"
Vanessa's lips parted.
Before she could answer, Claire opened her eyes.
She looked directly at Vanessa.
May you like
Then she whispered something that made Ethan turn cold.
"Ask her what happened to your father."
