Chapter 10 - THE MAN ABOVE THE LAW Marcus Kane entered the lighthouse without knocking.
He looked at Gabriel.
“Still alive.”
Gabriel smiled.
“Disappointed?”
“Surprised.”
Kane’s eyes moved toward Adrian.
Then Noah.
Then the ledger.
“Give me the book.”
Adrian held it tighter.
“No.”
Kane smiled.
“You don’t understand what you’re holding.”
“I understand enough.”
“No. You’re holding evidence capable of destabilizing institutions far beyond the Blackwood family.”
“That sounds like their problem.”
Kane’s smile vanished.
“It becomes your problem when people start dying.”
Claire stepped forward.
“They already have.”
Kane looked at her.
“You were supposed to stay dead.”
Adrian moved between them.
Kane laughed softly.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“The Vale temper.”
Adrian stared.
“You knew my mother?”
“I knew everyone.”
Gabriel spoke.
“Kane was Victor’s insurance policy.”
Kane shook his head.
“No. Victor was mine.”
Elias stared.
“What?”
Kane looked at him.
“Your father believed he built an empire.”
“He didn’t?”
“He built a machine.”
Kane smiled.
“And governments love machines.”
Reed raised his gun.
“That’s enough.”
Kane looked at him.
“Detective Reed.”
Reed froze.
“You know me?”
“I know your badge number. Your wife’s name. Your daughter’s school.”
Reed’s face hardened.
Kane continued.
“Lower the weapon.”
Reed didn’t.
“You just threatened my family.”
“I informed you of reality.”
Reed stepped closer.
“Here’s another reality. I don’t like you.”
Kane sighed.
“Predictable.”
Outside, more agents surrounded the lighthouse.
Adrian looked at Gabriel.
“Another exit?”
Gabriel smiled faintly.
“Always.”
Kane noticed.
“Don’t.”
Gabriel reached beneath the desk.
A mechanical sound echoed below them.
The floor shifted.
Noah grinned.
“Secret tunnel?”
Gabriel looked at him.
“Every evil family needs one.”
Noah nodded seriously.
“That’s actually pretty cool.”
Adrian almost laughed.
Then gunfire erupted.
Michael fired toward Kane’s agents.
“GO!”
Gabriel opened the hidden passage.
Claire pulled Noah inside.
Elias followed.
Adrian turned to Reed.
“Come on!”
Reed fired twice.
Then jumped inside.
Michael came last.
Gabriel remained.
Adrian stopped.
“Gabriel!”
The old man shook his head.
“Someone has to close it.”
“You’re coming.”
“No.”
Evelyn grabbed her father.
“I just found you.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“I know.”
“You don’t get to disappear again.”
His eyes filled.
“My whole life has been disappearing.”
“Then stop.”
For a moment, Gabriel looked ready to surrender.
Then Kane’s men reached the room.
Gabriel pushed Evelyn into the passage.
“Live differently.”
He slammed the door.
“DAD!”
The passage sealed.
A gunshot sounded above them.
Evelyn screamed.
Michael pulled her forward.
“We have to move.”
They descended through darkness.
Adrian carried the ledger beneath his coat.
Behind them came another gunshot.
Then silence.
Evelyn cried as she walked.
No one told her what they all feared.
At the bottom, the tunnel opened onto cliffs.
A boat waited.
Michael pointed.
“That’s mine.”
They ran.
Then Claire stopped.
“Where’s Vanessa?”
Adrian looked back.
Vanessa hadn’t entered the lighthouse.
She was still with Victor.
“We can’t go back.”
Claire stared at him.
“She helped Noah.”
“I know.”
“She helped me survive.”
Adrian stopped.
“What?”
Claire looked toward the cemetery.
“Vanessa wasn’t only working for Victor.”
Adrian felt anger return.
“Of course.”
“She was working for me.”
“What?”
“I recruited her.”
Adrian stared.
“Before the crash?”
“Yes.”
“You put her inside my house?”
“To protect Noah.”
“She betrayed us.”
“She made mistakes.”
“She drugged my son.”
Claire’s face broke.
“I know.”
“Don’t defend her.”
“I’m not.”
Claire looked toward the island.
“But she stayed close to Victor because I needed someone outside.”
Adrian shook his head.
“Everyone keeps deciding what I’m allowed to know.”
Claire whispered:
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
“You didn’t.”
“What?”
“You kept my body alive.”
Adrian looked at her.
“But you destroyed everything else.”
Claire had no answer.
A distant explosion shook the lighthouse.
Michael shouted.
“MOVE!”
They boarded the boat.
As they pulled away, Noah pointed.
“Dad!”
A figure ran toward the cliff.
Vanessa.
Victor behind her.
He raised his gun.
Adrian stood.
“VANESSA!”
She jumped.
Victor fired.
Vanessa disappeared over the cliff.
Adrian dove toward the side of the boat.
“Turn around!”
Michael swung the boat.
They searched the water.
Nothing.
Then a hand broke the surface.
Claire screamed.
“There!”
Adrian jumped into the freezing water.
He reached Vanessa.
Blood spread from her shoulder.
He dragged her toward the boat.
Elias pulled them aboard.
Vanessa coughed.
“You came back.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You idiot.”
She laughed weakly.
“Fair.”
Claire pressed cloth against the wound.
Vanessa grabbed Adrian’s wrist.
“Victor…”
“What?”
“He knows where you’re going.”
“We don’t even know where we’re going.”
“Yes, you do.”
She looked at the ledger.
“The drive has one final folder.”
Adrian frowned.
“We saw everything.”
“No.”
Vanessa coughed.
“Claire hid it.”
Adrian looked at Claire.
Claire closed her eyes.
“What folder?”
Vanessa whispered:
“EDEN.”
Claire went pale.
Michael turned.
“Claire?”
Adrian stared at her.
“What is Eden?”
Claire looked toward Noah.
Then at the island disappearing behind them.
“A place Victor can never be allowed to reach.”
“What place?”
Claire answered:
“A house.”
“What’s inside?”
Her eyes filled.
“Children.”
Adrian froze.
“What children?”
Claire whispered:
“Children whose parents tried to testify against the Blackwoods.”
No one spoke.
“They were supposed to be dead.”
Reed looked horrified.
“How many?”
“Twelve.”
Adrian stared.
“You hid twelve children?”
“Michael and I did.”
Michael nodded.
“New identities. New records. Families.”
Adrian’s anger became something else.
Understanding.
This wasn’t only about Noah.
Never had been.
Claire looked at him.
“If Kane finds Eden, those children disappear for real.”
Reed checked his weapon.
“Then we get there first.”
Adrian looked at Noah.
His son was watching him.
Waiting.
Adrian opened the ledger.
Names.
Victims.
Crimes.
Lives.
He had spent days trying to save one child.
Now twelve more depended on him.
Adrian closed the book.
“Where is Eden?”
Claire looked toward the horizon.
“Vermont.”
Michael started the engine.
Behind them, Blackwood Island burned.
Ahead of them waited a house filled with children who were officially dead.
And standing on the cliff behind Victor—
Marcus Kane lifted a satellite phone.
He dialed one number.
“Activate Eden.”
A voice answered.
“Which protocol?”
May you like
Kane watched Adrian’s boat disappear.
“Burn it.”
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