Chapter 5 - THE MAN WHO CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD Michael opened the door with the security chain still attached.
Thomas Carter stood outside.
Older than in the photograph.
Thin.
Bearded.
A scar crossed his forehead.
Emily stared.
“Tom?”
His eyes filled.
“Hey, Em.”
She reached for the door.
Michael stopped her.
“Not yet.”
Thomas looked at him.
“Smart.”
“Are you armed?”
“Yes.”
Michael’s expression hardened.
Thomas slowly removed a pistol and placed it on the floor.
Then a knife.
Then a second pistol from his ankle.
Michael stared.
Thomas smiled faintly.
“Now I’m done.”
Michael opened the door.
Emily threw herself into her brother’s arms.
She hit him before hugging him.
“You were dead!”
“I know.”
“You let me bury you!”
“I know.”
She hit him again.
Thomas accepted it.
Michael almost understood.
Apparently everyone in his life had discovered the same strategy.
Pretend to die.
Call it protection.
Thomas entered.
Michael locked the door.
“Where’s Rachel?”
Thomas looked at Lucas and Sophie.
“Not in front of them.”
Michael shook his head.
“No more treating my children like furniture.”
Thomas studied him.
Then nodded.
“Fair.”
He crouched.
“Lucas, do you remember me?”
Lucas shook his head.
“Your mom trusted me.”
Michael interrupted.
“Don’t use Rachel to earn his trust.”
Thomas looked up.
Another nod.
“Fair again.”
He stood.
“Rachel is alive.”
Michael’s chest tightened.
“Where?”
“About eighty miles north.”
“Take me.”
“We can’t.”
Michael grabbed him.
“You came here to tell me where she is.”
“I came here because Shepherd found her.”
Michael released him.
“Who is Shepherd?”
Thomas looked toward Emily.
“I worked for him.”
She stared.
“You were part of this?”
“Yes.”
“What did you do?”
Thomas didn’t soften it.
“Surveillance. Intimidation. Evidence removal.”
Emily looked sick.
“Did you kill people?”
Thomas paused.
“No.”
“Did you help people who did?”
“Yes.”
Emily stepped away.
Thomas looked ashamed.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me.”
Michael asked:
“Rachel?”
“Three years ago, I was assigned to follow her.”
“The night of the crash?”
“Yes.”
“Did you cause it?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
“I still don’t know.”
“What happened?”
“I saw her car go off the road. I reached her before police did.”
Michael stared.
“She was alive.”
“Barely.”
“I called Shepherd.”
“Why?”
“Because that was protocol.”
“And?”
“He told me to leave her in the car.”
Michael’s expression changed.
“He wanted her to burn.”
“Yes.”
“What did you do?”
Thomas looked at Emily.
“I pulled her out.”
Michael stared.
“You saved Rachel.”
“Yes.”
“Then whose body did I bury?”
Thomas shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
Michael wanted to hit him.
Instead:
“What happened after?”
“I took Rachel to a private clinic.”
“Then Cole became involved?”
“Yes.”
“Is Cole working for Shepherd?”
Thomas laughed bitterly.
“Cole has spent fifteen years trying to identify Shepherd.”
Michael froze.
“Then why did you say not to tell him?”
“Because Shepherd has someone inside Cole’s unit.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
Thomas continued.
“Rachel disappeared from our protection fourteen months ago.”
“Why?”
“She found the ledger.”
“Where is it?”
“She split it.”
Michael frowned.
“Into what?”
“Three encrypted drives.”
“One went to Lucas.”
Thomas looked at the boy.
“Apparently.”
“What about the others?”
“One to Victoria.”
Michael stared.
“She said she didn’t have it.”
“Then she lied.”
Not surprising.
“And the third?”
Thomas looked at Michael.
“Rachel kept it.”
Michael paced.
“Take me to her.”
Thomas checked the window.
“We need to leave now.”
Michael woke Sophie, who had fallen asleep.
They moved through the hotel service exit.
Thomas had a van waiting.
No phones.
No GPS.
They drove north.
Two hours later, they reached an abandoned lakeside cabin.
Thomas stopped.
“Wait here.”
Michael ignored him.
He walked toward the cabin.
“Rachel?”
No answer.
He opened the door.
Empty.
A cup of coffee was still warm.
A blanket lay on the couch.
Someone had been there minutes earlier.
Michael saw a photograph on the table.
Lucas and Sophie.
Taken recently.
Beside it was Rachel’s wedding ring.
Michael picked it up.
His hands shook.
“Rachel.”
Thomas entered.
His face changed.
“No.”
“What?”
“They got here first.”
“Who?”
Thomas saw something on the wall.
The circle symbol.
“Shepherd.”
Michael looked outside.
Tire tracks.
Fresh.
“They took her.”
Thomas shook his head.
“Maybe.”
“What does maybe mean?”
“Rachel doesn’t get taken easily.”
Michael stared.
A floorboard creaked.
Thomas drew his weapon.
“Stay back.”
He lifted the board.
Inside was a laptop.
Michael opened it.
One video file.
FOR MICHAEL.
He clicked.
Rachel appeared.
Alive.
Older.
Hair shorter.
But Rachel.
Michael stopped breathing.
“Hi, Michael.”
His hand touched the screen.
Lucas whispered:
“Mommy.”
Rachel smiled sadly.
“If you’re watching this, then Thomas finally brought you here.”
Thomas froze.
Rachel continued.
“Don’t blame him for lying. I asked him to.”
Michael laughed bitterly.
Of course.
“I know you’re angry.”
“You have no idea,” Michael whispered.
Rachel continued.
“But I need you to understand why I stayed away.”
Her expression changed.
“Shepherd is someone close to us.”
Michael leaned forward.
“I spent three years trying to prove who.”
A photograph appeared.
William.
Michael’s father.
“Your father helped create the organization.”
Another.
Victoria.
“Victoria tried to take control of it.”
Another.
Detective Cole.
“Cole tried to expose it.”
Michael stared.
Then Rachel said:
“But none of them is Shepherd.”
Michael’s heart pounded.
“Then who?”
Rachel looked directly into the camera.
“Shepherd was inside our house the night Sophie was born.”
Michael froze.
“He was at our wedding.”
Another photograph appeared.
“He held Lucas the day he came home from the hospital.”
Michael stared at the image.
A man stood beside him.
Smiling.
Hand on Michael’s shoulder.
Michael whispered:
“No.”
Thomas looked at the screen.
“Who is that?”
Michael could barely speak.
“My brother.”
David Hayes.
Michael’s older brother.
The man who had supposedly died ten years ago in a boating accident.
Rachel continued:
“David is alive.”
Michael felt sick.
“He has been controlling the organization for more than a decade.”
Thomas stared.
“Shepherd is David Hayes?”
Rachel nodded on the recording.
“And he knows I know.”
A sound interrupted the video.
Rachel looked off camera.
Fear crossed her face.
Then she whispered:
“If David finds me before you do, don’t trade the children for me.”
Michael’s eyes filled.
“Rachel…”
“No matter what he says.”
The recording ended.
Immediately, a phone inside the hidden compartment rang.
Michael answered.
“Hello?”
A man laughed.
Familiar.
Impossible.
“Little brother.”
Michael stopped breathing.
“David?”
“Been a long time.”
Michael’s hand tightened.
“Where is Rachel?”
“Safe.”
“I swear to God—”
“Don’t swear yet.”
David laughed.
“You’re going to need God later.”
Michael looked at Lucas and Sophie.
“What do you want?”
“The drive Rachel gave Lucas.”
Michael stared.
“I don’t have it.”
“You do.”
“No.”
“Check the recorder.”
Michael looked at Rachel’s recorder.
Thomas opened the battery compartment.
Inside was a micro-drive.
Michael felt cold.
David continued.
“Bring it to Hayes Tower tomorrow night.”
“Why?”
“Because Rachel stole something from me.”
“What?”
“My insurance policy.”
Michael looked at Thomas.
“What does that mean?”
Thomas whispered:
“The ledger.”
David heard him.
“Thomas Carter.”
His voice changed.
“You disappoint me.”
Thomas went pale.
David continued.
“Tomorrow. Midnight.”
“And if I don’t come?”
David became quiet.
“Then Lucas and Sophie lose their mother for a second time.”
The line ended.
Michael stared at the phone.
Then Sophie said:
“Daddy?”
He looked down.
She was pointing outside.
A woman stood between the trees.
Michael’s heart stopped.
Rachel.
Alive.
Watching the cabin.
“RACHEL!”
Michael ran outside.
Rachel turned.
“WAIT!”
He chased her into the woods.
She stopped.
Slowly turned.
Michael stared at the wife he had buried three years ago.
Neither moved.
Then Rachel whispered:
“Michael.”
He crossed the distance and pulled her into his arms.
For one second, everything disappeared.
Then Rachel pushed him away.
“We have to go.”
“Why?”
“Because David lied.”
“About what?”
Rachel looked toward the cabin.
“He doesn’t want the drive.”
“Then what does he want?”
Rachel’s eyes moved toward Lucas.
Michael followed her gaze.
“No.”
May you like
Rachel whispered:
“He wants our son.”
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