Chapter 9 - THE NAMELESS GRAVE The sea cave swallowed the boat whole.
Darkness closed around them.
Elias killed the engine.
“From here, we walk.”
Reed turned on a flashlight.
Stone steps had been carved into the rock.
Old.
Nearly invisible.
Evelyn touched the wall.
“My father built this route.”
Adrian carried Noah.
Claire stayed close.
Vanessa followed behind Reed.
The tunnel climbed beneath Blackwood Island.
Water dripped from the ceiling.
After several minutes, Noah whispered:
“Dad?”
“What?”
“Someone’s behind us.”
Everyone stopped.
Silence.
Then—
A scrape.
Reed raised his weapon.
“Lights off.”
Darkness.
Footsteps.
Closer.
Adrian put Noah behind him.
A beam suddenly appeared.
“Don’t shoot!”
A man stepped from the tunnel.
One of Victor’s guards.
Bleeding.
Unarmed.
Reed aimed at him.
“Hands!”
The man raised them.
“Victor’s lost control.”
Elias frowned.
“What happened?”
“Michael Hart.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“What did Michael do?”
“He brought people.”
“How many?”
“I don’t know.”
The guard coughed.
“Victor thought they were his men.”
“And?”
“They weren’t.”
Claire looked at Adrian.
“Michael has been building his own network.”
The guard nodded.
“He took the north side of the island.”
“Where’s Victor?”
“Cemetery.”
They moved faster.
The tunnel opened inside an abandoned chapel.
Wind screamed through broken windows.
Beyond the chapel stood rows of graves.
Blackwood names carved into stone.
Generations of them.
Noah looked around.
“Creepy.”
Elias pointed.
“There.”
At the edge of the cemetery stood the nameless grave.
The raven beneath the crown.
But the grave was open.
Adrian ran.
Inside—
nothing.
No coffin.
No ledger.
Only a metal box.
Empty.
Claire whispered:
“We’re too late.”
A voice came from behind them.
“No.”
Michael Hart stepped from between the graves.
He looked older.
Gray hair.
Weathered face.
But Adrian knew him.
“Michael.”
Michael smiled sadly.
“You grew up.”
Adrian punched him.
Michael fell.
Claire gasped.
Adrian grabbed him.
“You let me think you were dead.”
“Yes.”
“You let my mother die believing you were dead?”
Michael’s expression broke.
“No.”
Adrian froze.
“What?”
“Your mother knew.”
Adrian released him slowly.
Michael stood.
“She helped me disappear.”
“Why?”
“To protect you.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“That sentence is becoming very popular.”
Michael looked at Noah.
Then smiled.
“You must be Noah.”
Noah stayed behind Adrian.
“You’re the guy everybody thought was my dad?”
Michael almost laughed.
“Apparently.”
“I already have one.”
Michael looked at Adrian.
“Yes.”
“You do.”
Claire stepped forward.
“Where’s Victor?”
“Tied up.”
Elias blinked.
“You tied up my father?”
“Yes.”
“I’m starting to like you too.”
Michael looked toward the open grave.
“The ledger is safe.”
“Where?”
Michael looked at Adrian.
“With the only person Gabriel trusted.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“My father is dead.”
Michael looked at her.
“No, Evelyn.”
She froze.
Michael continued.
“Gabriel is alive.”
No one spoke.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Evelyn whispered:
“No.”
“He’s ninety-two.”
“You told me he died.”
“I told Victor he died.”
Tears filled Evelyn’s eyes.
“Where is he?”
Michael looked toward the abandoned lighthouse.
“There.”
A bell suddenly rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Michael’s expression changed.
“That’s not good.”
“What?”
“Gabriel’s signal.”
“For what?”
Michael drew his weapon.
“Someone reached him.”
They ran.
Inside the lighthouse, they found blood on the stairs.
Not much.
But enough.
At the top, the door stood open.
An old man sat beside the window.
A gun rested across his knees.
A dead attacker lay near the stairs.
Gabriel Blackwood looked at Adrian.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Gabriel smiled.
“Samuel’s grandson.”
Adrian stared.
“You’re Gabriel.”
“I am.”
“You started all this.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“No.”
He looked toward the cemetery.
“Victor did.”
Gabriel opened a drawer.
Inside was the ledger.
He held it toward Adrian.
“This belongs to you.”
Adrian didn’t take it.
“I don’t want anything that belongs to the Blackwoods.”
Gabriel smiled.
“Good.”
“Why is that good?”
“Because the man who wants power should never be trusted with it.”
Gabriel looked at Noah.
“And that boy?”
“My son.”
“I know.”
Noah studied the old man.
“Are you evil?”
Claire gasped.
“Noah.”
Gabriel laughed.
It was surprisingly warm.
“That depends who you ask.”
“I’m asking you.”
Gabriel’s smile faded.
“I did bad things.”
“Did you say sorry?”
“No.”
“Then maybe start there.”
Gabriel stared at him.
Then nodded.
“Fair.”
Adrian almost smiled.
Then gunfire erupted outside.
Michael ran to the window.
“Victor got loose.”
Elias cursed.
“How?”
Michael looked through binoculars.
“He had help.”
“Who?”
Michael lowered them.
His expression hardened.
“Vanessa.”
Adrian turned.
Vanessa was gone.
Claire whispered:
“No.”
Reed checked the stairs.
“She was behind us.”
Michael looked again.
Vanessa stood beside Victor near the cemetery.
Victor had a weapon.
Vanessa did not.
Adrian watched through the glass.
Victor raised the pistol toward Vanessa.
Claire understood first.
“She didn’t free him.”
Adrian’s blood went cold.
“She followed him.”
Vanessa suddenly looked toward the lighthouse.
Then she raised three fingers against her chest.
Noah saw it.
“Dad.”
Adrian stared.
Three fingers.
Someone is listening.
Then Vanessa pointed toward the grave.
Victor turned.
Too late.
An explosion ripped through the cemetery.
The nameless grave vanished in fire.
Victor had destroyed it.
He laughed.
But Gabriel smiled.
“He thinks the ledger was inside.”
Adrian looked down at the book in Gabriel’s hands.
Victor had destroyed an empty grave.
Gabriel handed Adrian the ledger again.
This time Adrian took it.
Then he noticed something written inside the cover.
A list of names.
At the bottom:
ADRIAN VALE.
Beneath his name:
SUCCESSOR.
Adrian looked at Gabriel.
“What does this mean?”
Gabriel’s answer was interrupted by Noah.
“Dad?”
Adrian turned.
Noah was staring through the window.
At the water.
A helicopter was approaching the island.
Black.
Unmarked.
Michael went pale.
“Everyone downstairs.”
“Who is it?”
Michael grabbed the ledger.
“Someone Victor fears.”
Adrian remembered Claire’s video.
Someone Victor fears more than any heir.
The helicopter landed.
A man stepped out.
Tall.
Silver-haired.
Surrounded by armed agents.
Reed stared.
“I know him.”
“Who?”
Reed looked at Adrian.
“Deputy Director Marcus Kane.”
Adrian frowned.
“FBI?”
Reed nodded.
May you like
Then Gabriel whispered something worse.
“He’s the reason Victor has survived this long.”
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