Chapter 13 - My Mother Is Here
“Mom?”
My voice cracked.
The screen changed.
EVELYN, LISTEN CAREFULLY.
My father stepped beside me.
“Elizabeth?”
Another message appeared.
JONATHAN, I TOLD YOU TO KEEP HER AWAY FROM THIS.
My father actually laughed.
It sounded half broken.
“I tried.”
A reply appeared.
YOU ALWAYS WERE TERRIBLE AT FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS.
Tears filled his eyes.
I had never seen him look so relieved.
Rebecca touched my shoulder.
“Focus.”
The transfer had reached 48%.
I typed.
WHERE ARE YOU?
The response came immediately.
EAST WING MEDICAL ROOM.
INJURED.
HALDEN DOES NOT KNOW I AM HERE.
My heart pounded.
I typed another question.
HOW DO WE STOP THE TRANSFER?
A code appeared.
Rebecca stared.
“That shuts down the outgoing network.”
She entered it.
The transfer froze at 53%.
Then stopped.
Halden’s voice exploded through the speakers.
“Elizabeth.”
No answer.
His calm facade was gone.
“You should have stayed dead.”
My mother typed.
YOU FIRST.
Despite everything, I almost laughed.
Then Halden said,
“I still have Damian.”
Arthur’s voice suddenly came through another speaker.
“And I still have you.”
We froze.
A gunshot sounded above us.
Then shouting.
My father grabbed his weapon.
“What happened?”
Security responded through his earpiece.
“Sir, Arthur Cross broke containment.”
“How?”
“Someone helped him.”
I looked at Rebecca.
“Halden’s guard?”
“Maybe.”
The archive displayed camera feeds.
Arthur ran through a hallway.
He was not escaping.
He was moving toward Damian’s location.
My father stared.
“He’s trying to save his son.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“No.”
She zoomed another camera.
Arthur carried something.
A detonator.
My stomach dropped.
“What is that?”
My father swore.
“Explosive trigger.”
Halden came over the speakers.
“Arthur.”
Arthur stopped.
“You promised my son would live.”
“I promised nothing.”
Arthur raised the detonator.
“You put explosives under this estate.”
Guests screamed in the ballroom above.
I looked at Rebecca.
“Can he do that?”
She checked the building schematics.
Then went pale.
“There are charges in the foundation.”
My father stared.
“How many?”
“Enough.”
Halden laughed.
“Arthur always needed insurance.”
Arthur shouted toward the cameras.
“Release Damian.”
“No.”
“Then I blow the entire house.”
I grabbed the microphone.
“Arthur.”
He looked toward a camera.
“Evelyn?”
“Don’t.”
His face twisted.
“He’s my son.”
“I know.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand exactly.”
I thought of Damian laughing after hurting me.
I thought of Arthur’s crimes.
Then I thought of a father watching his child tied to a chair.
“I don’t forgive him.”
“But I don’t want him dead.”
Arthur’s eyes filled.
“Then help me.”
My mother’s message appeared.
EVELYN.
THE DETONATOR IS FAKE.
I stared.
Then another.
THE EXPLOSIVES ARE NOT.
Rebecca whispered,
“Oh God.”
My mother continued.
HALDEN HAS THE REAL TRIGGER.
Suddenly every light in the archive turned red.
A timer appeared.
15:00.
Halden spoke.
“Everyone wanted a dramatic ending.”
May you like
His voice became calm again.
“So I decided to provide one.”
