Chapter 6 - THE NIGHT THE HOUSE WENT DARK“GET ETHAN INTO THE SAFE ROOM!”
Daniel’s shout echoed through the blackened corridor.
Michael lifted Ethan and ran.
Margaret followed.
Daniel stayed behind long enough to lock Claire’s hidden room.
A crash sounded downstairs.
Then another.
Someone had entered the villa.
Federal agents had been positioned outside.
Yet the power outage had disabled the exterior cameras and electronic locks.
Daniel heard shouting from the driveway.
A gunshot followed.
He ran toward the family safe room.
Michael pulled him inside.
The steel door closed.
Ethan began crying.
“Daddy…”
Daniel knelt.
“I’m here.”
“Bad man coming?”
Daniel could not lie.
“Someone is trying to scare us.”
Ethan wrapped his arms around him.
Daniel whispered, “But he doesn’t get to win.”
The safe room had independent power.
Michael activated the internal surveillance network.
Several cameras remained operational on backup batteries.
Three masked men moved through the lower floor.
Then a fourth figure entered.
Richard.
Daniel stared at the monitor.
His oldest friend looked almost unrecognizable.
His suit was gone.
His face was unshaven.
He carried a pistol.
Richard looked directly into one of the cameras.
“I know you’re watching.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
Richard smiled.
“You always did love expensive security.”
Michael whispered, “Police are coming.”
“How long?”
“Eight minutes.”
Richard continued speaking.
“You have something that belongs to me, Daniel.”
Daniel activated the intercom.
“The evidence belongs to the victims.”
Richard laughed.
“Claire used to say things like that.”
Daniel’s hand tightened around the microphone.
“You murdered her.”
Silence.
Richard’s smile disappeared.
“She made a choice.”
“You cut her brake line.”
“She was going to destroy hundreds of thousands of jobs.”
“You murdered my wife to protect a stock price.”
“I protected the company your father built!”
Daniel looked toward Ethan.
“No.”
His voice became calm.
“You protected yourself.”
Richard stared at the camera.
“Give me the archive.”
“It’s already being copied.”
Richard’s expression changed.
Daniel continued.
“Federal investigators have it.”
That was not entirely true.
But it worked.
Richard panicked.
“You’re lying.”
“Claire beat you three years ago. You just didn’t know it.”
Richard fired into the camera.
The screen went black.
Michael whispered, “That bought us time.”
Then a sound came from behind them.
A metallic click.
Margaret turned.
The emergency exit hatch was moving.
Someone was opening it from the other side.
Michael raised a fire extinguisher.
The hatch swung inward.
A masked man appeared.
Daniel lunged.
The two men crashed into the wall.
The attacker struck Daniel across the jaw.
Michael tackled him.
Margaret pulled Ethan into the far corner.
Daniel seized the man’s wrist.
The pistol dropped.
Michael kicked it away.
Together they pinned him down.
Daniel tore off the mask.
Aaron Pike.
Everyone froze.
Daniel stared.
“You’re dead.”
Aaron smiled through bloody teeth.
“Apparently not.”
Michael whispered, “The car crash…”
“Was arranged.”
Daniel grabbed his collar.
“You deleted the video.”
“Yes.”
“You helped Vanessa.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Aaron looked toward Ethan.
“Because Richard paid better than you.”
Daniel nearly hit him.
Ethan’s frightened face stopped him.
Claire’s words returned.
Don’t teach him revenge.
Daniel released Aaron.
Michael tied his hands.
“Police can have him.”
Aaron laughed.
“You think Richard came here for the archive?”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
“He knows it’s worthless now.”
“Then why is he here?”
Aaron smiled.
“For the child.”
Daniel felt cold.
“Why?”
“Because Claire put more than documents in Ethan’s trust.”
Michael stepped closer.
“What else?”
Aaron looked directly at Daniel.
“Forty-two percent of Whitmore Biomedical.”
Daniel froze.
That made Ethan the largest individual shareholder once Claire’s trust activated.
Richard could not control the company while Ethan lived under Daniel’s guardianship.
Daniel understood.
“He wants custody leverage?”
Aaron laughed.
“No.”
The implication was worse.
Daniel stood.
Richard did not need Ethan alive.
Sirens suddenly filled the property.
Richard’s men began retreating.
Police flooded the villa.
Richard ran toward the pool terrace.
Daniel saw him on the remaining camera.
He opened the safe room door.
Michael grabbed him.
“Don’t.”
Daniel looked at his brother.
“He’s not getting away again.”
Daniel ran downstairs.
Richard reached the pool.
Officers entered from the eastern corridor.
Richard turned and found himself trapped between them and Daniel.
For a moment the two men simply stared at each other.
Best friends for twenty years.
Godfather and father.
Betrayer and betrayed.
Richard raised his gun.
Daniel did not move.
“Don’t,” Daniel said.
Richard’s hand trembled.
“You ruined everything.”
“No.”
Daniel stared at him.
“Claire exposed everything.”
Richard’s face twisted.
“She should have stayed out of it.”
Daniel’s voice broke.
“She trusted you.”
Richard hesitated.
That hesitation was enough.
An officer moved.
Richard turned.
The gun fired.
Another shot followed.
Richard collapsed beside the pool.
The weapon slid across the white tiles.
Daniel stood frozen.
Richard was alive.
The bullet had struck his shoulder.
Officers handcuffed him.
As paramedics carried him away, Richard looked at Daniel.
“You think this ends with me?”
Daniel said nothing.
Richard smiled weakly.
“Ask Michael who signed the original trial authorization.”
Daniel slowly turned toward his brother.
May you like
Michael had gone pale.
And suddenly the night was not over.
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