Chapter 11 - The Man Who Finally Chose
Gordon fell first.
His gun clattered across the floor.
For one stunned second, nobody moved.
Then Daniel Mercer stepped from the shadows.
He held a pistol with both hands.
Maya screamed behind the tape.
Charles stared at his younger son.
“Daniel.”
“Move away from Claire.”
“You shot Gordon.”
“I saw him aiming at her.”
“You idiot.”
“No.”
Daniel’s hands were shaking.
“You don’t get to call me that anymore.”
Charles stood slowly.
“You have no idea what you’ve done.”
“I know exactly what I’ve done.”
Sirens screamed in the distance.
Charles turned toward me.
“You brought them.”
“No.”
Daniel answered.
“I did.”
Maya began sobbing.
Daniel kept the gun pointed at his father.
“I called Detective Reed forty minutes ago.”
Charles laughed.
“You think police will save you?”
“I don’t care about me.”
His eyes moved toward Maya.
“I care about her.”
Charles’ face changed.
Cold.
Almost bored.
“You always were the weak son.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“And Adrian was the strong one?”
“He understood loyalty.”
“He killed Natalie.”
Silence.
My heartbeat thundered.
Charles said nothing.
Daniel continued.
“I know now.”
Maya stared at him.
“What do you know?” I asked.
Daniel’s eyes filled with tears.
“That night in 2018, my father called me. He said Adrian had hurt someone.”
“The tarp,” I said.
“I thought Natalie was already dead.”
Maya closed her eyes.
Daniel’s voice cracked.
“She wasn’t.”
I felt the entire room tilt.
“What?”
“When we reached the quarry…”
He swallowed.
“She moved.”
Maya made a terrible sound.
Daniel looked at his father.
“You told me it was a muscle spasm.”
Charles remained silent.
“You told me dead bodies did that.”
Daniel started crying.
“I believed you.”
“What happened?” I whispered.
Daniel’s face collapsed.
“My father pushed the tarp into the pit.”
Alive.
Natalie had been alive.
I covered my mouth.
“You heard her?” I asked.
Daniel nodded.
“She screamed once.”
Charles suddenly lunged.
Daniel hesitated.
That hesitation nearly killed him.
Charles slammed into his arm.
The gun fired into the ceiling.
Maya screamed.
I grabbed the pistol Gordon had dropped.
Charles turned toward me.
I pointed it at his chest.
“Stop.”
He froze.
Footsteps thundered outside.
Police shouted commands.
Daniel stepped away.
I kept the gun steady.
Charles smiled at me.
“You won’t shoot.”
“I don’t want to.”
“That’s not what I said.”
I stared into his eyes.
This man had spent decades depending on decent people being unwilling to become like him.
He mistook morality for weakness.
“Get on your knees.”
His smile faded.
“Claire.”
“Now.”
He knelt.
The doors burst open.
Officers flooded the building.
Detective Reed ran toward Maya.
Sergeant Ortiz took the gun from my hand.
Charles was cuffed.
Daniel surrendered without resistance.
As they lifted Charles from the floor, he leaned close to me.
“You still don’t understand.”
“What?”
He smiled.
“Adrian didn’t kill Natalie.”
I stared at him.
May you like
Charles whispered:
“Eleanor did.”
