Chapter 28 - Samuel’s Final Threat
Samuel claimed the archive contained innocent people.
Witnesses.
Adoptive families.
Former employees.
People Arthur had protected.
Releasing everything publicly could destroy lives.
For once, he was not entirely lying.
Peter confirmed it.
“The archive cannot simply be published.”
Samuel had built his last defense around a genuine danger.
If federal investigators mishandled the files, Nathan’s sealed adoption could become public.
So could witnesses from decades earlier.
Families could be exposed.
Samuel called again.
This time Marlow recorded him.
“I want the original card.”
Eleanor replied, “You know copies exist.”
“I want the hardware key too.”
“Why?”
“Because without it, certain external accounts remain frozen.”
There it was.
Not protection.
Money.
Samuel still believed he could escape with enough cash.
Marlow wrote something on a pad.
KEEP HIM TALKING.
Eleanor asked, “How much?”
Samuel laughed.
“Enough.”
“Eighteen million?”
“More.”
Peter stared.
Samuel had apparently accumulated additional money investigators had not found.
“Where do you want to meet?”
Marlow looked at Eleanor sharply.
Samuel answered.
“Your house.”
“Why?”
“Because Arthur never trusted digital systems completely.”
Eleanor glanced toward the attic.
Samuel continued.
“There is one thing left there.”
“What?”
“The recovery phrase.”
Peter closed his eyes.
He knew.
Arthur had created a final offline sequence capable of restoring access to T.M.H.
Samuel needed it.
Eleanor asked, “When?”
“Midnight.”
The line disconnected.
Marlow immediately said, “Absolutely not.”
Eleanor replied, “He’s coming either way.”
“We can evacuate you.”
“And then he tears apart my house.”
“That is preferable to you being inside it.”
Rachel walked in.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
Rachel looked at Marlow.
“He used this house because he believed my mother could be frightened inside it.”
Then she looked at Eleanor.
“So did Trent.”
Eleanor understood.
Rachel continued.
“I’m done giving men the meaning of this house.”
Marlow stared at both women.
“This is not a symbolic exercise.”
“No,” Eleanor said.
“It’s a controlled operation.”
Marlow hated the idea.
Then Peter spoke.
“I know where the recovery phrase is.”
Everyone turned.
“Where?”
Peter looked toward Rachel.
“It was never written down.”
Rachel frowned.
“Then where is it?”
May you like
Peter pointed toward her.
“Arthur taught it to you when you were six.”
