Chapter 13 - What Victoria Finally Did Right)
The underground archive sealed itself.
No cell signal.
No visible emergency release.
Air vents continued operating, which meant the purpose wasn't immediate harm.
Containment.
Ethan examined the door.
"There's always another exit."
Daniel laughed.
"Your family motto?"
"Experience."
Victoria searched the files.
Elena looked at her.
"What are you doing?"
"Finding the building plans."
"Why would they be here?"
"Because Charles stored everything."
Daniel shook his head.
"The Custodian built this room."
Victoria looked at him.
"Then someone still paid contractors."
Within minutes, she found invoices.
One referenced a maintenance shaft.
Thomas inspected the wall.
"Here."
A panel opened behind the sixth chair.
Narrow tunnel.
Single file.
Gerald Knox protested.
"We should wait."
"For who?" Elena asked.
"Security."
Daniel laughed.
"The security locking us inside?"
They entered the shaft.
Victoria went last.
Halfway through, a mechanical door began lowering behind them.
Daniel shouted.
"Move."
Elena stumbled.
Victoria caught her.
Then the door jammed.
Victoria had wedged the silver Northstar card into its track.
Metal crushed around it.
"Go."
Elena stared.
"Victoria."
"Go."
She pushed Elena forward.
The card snapped.
The door stopped inches above the floor.
Victoria crawled beneath it.
Her dress tore.
For the first time Elena saw her without the perfect performance.
Hair loose.
Dress dirty.
Hands shaking.
Alive.
When they emerged into the old servant corridor, Ethan received dozens of missed calls.
Aaron.
Federal agents.
Police.
One message from Lily.
Dad call me.
Ethan called instantly.
Aaron answered.
"They're safe."
Ethan closed his eyes.
"Where is Lily?"
"Right here."
Lily came on.
"Dad?"
"I'm here."
"People came to the house."
"What people?"
"They said they were police."
Aaron took the phone.
"They weren't."
Ethan's blood chilled.
"What happened?"
"The federal guys challenged them. The fake officers left."
"Anyone hurt?"
"No."
Elena grabbed Ethan's arm.
"Is Lily okay?"
He nodded.
Aaron continued.
"There's something else."
"What?"
"Lily recognized one of them."
Elena took the phone.
"How?"
"She said she's seen him near her school."
Elena closed her eyes.
Three years of surveillance.
Daniel spoke behind them.
"Ask what he looked like."
Elena glared.
Aaron described him.
Mid-forties.
Dark hair beginning to gray.
Scar near left eyebrow.
Daniel stopped moving.
Margaret whispered, "What?"
Daniel looked toward Ethan.
"That's Nathan."
Silence.
Ethan almost dropped the phone.
"No."
"I saw him as an adult once."
Margaret grabbed Daniel.
"You told me you didn't know where he was."
"I didn't."
"You're sure?"
"The scar came from the lake."
Ethan's stomach turned.
His brother had been near Lily's school.
Was Nathan protecting her?
Watching her?
Trying to take her?
Samuel spoke quietly.
"The Custodian said Nathan was alive."
Thomas looked at Daniel.
"Maybe Nathan is the Custodian."
Margaret shook her head violently.
"No."
"You haven't seen him in decades."
"He's my son."
"So is Ethan, and you've lied to him for most of his life."
Margaret slapped Thomas.
The sound echoed.
Thomas accepted it.
"Fair."
Elena looked at Victoria.
"You knew someone was watching Lily."
"Not who."
"You could have warned me six months ago."
"Yes."
"Why didn't you?"
Victoria's face filled with shame.
"Because I was afraid if Ethan learned about Lily, I'd lose him."
Elena stared at her.
"And now?"
Victoria looked toward Ethan.
"I already lost him."
She turned to Elena.
"But Lily doesn't have to pay for that."
Ethan's phone received another message.
Unknown sender.
A photograph loaded.
Lily sleeping inside Aaron's safe house.
Taken from inside the room.
Elena screamed.
Ethan immediately called.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Then a message.
BRING THE ARCHIVE.
ONE HOUR.
COME TO THE LAKE.
Ethan stared at it.
The lake.
The place Nathan supposedly drowned.
Margaret whispered, "No."
Ethan grabbed Nathan's file.
Elena took the flash drive.
Victoria stopped them.
"You can't go there without a plan."
Elena looked at her.
"My daughter is there."
"I know."
"Then don't stand in my way."
"I'm not."
Victoria reached into the archive folder and removed several pages.
"I'm coming."
Ethan shook his head.
"No."
Victoria looked at him.
"You said when this was over I'd give the police everything."
"Yes."
May you like
She folded the documents into her torn dress.
"Then help me survive long enough to do it."
