Chapter 6 - THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUV
Ethan chased the SUV through the city.
Lena sat beside him, crying silently.
His security team tracked the vehicle.
“It's heading toward the river.”
Ethan's hands tightened around the wheel.
“Block every bridge.”
“Already doing it.”
Then the SUV stopped.
The door opened.
A man stepped out.
Daniel.
He raised his hands.
“Ethan.”
Ethan jumped from the car.
“Where is my daughter?”
Daniel looked devastated.
“I didn't take her.”
“Then who did?”
Daniel looked behind him.
“Your father's people.”
“Why were you there?”
“I was trying to stop them.”
Ethan grabbed his brother's coat.
“You knew she was alive.”
“Yes.”
“For five years?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you come home?”
Daniel looked at Lena.
“Because I thought you were dead.”
Lena whispered:
“I thought you were dead.”
Daniel smiled sadly.
“Everyone thought everyone was dead.”
Ethan released him.
“What do they want?”
Daniel answered:
“The trust.”
“We know.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“You don't.”
Daniel opened his coat.
Inside was a folder.
“The trust doesn't contain six billion dollars.”
Ethan frowned.
“What?”
“It contains access.”
“To what?”
Daniel handed him a photograph.
It showed underground vaults.
“Every intelligence operation funded by the Mercer family for forty years.”
Ethan stared.
“Names?”
“Presidents.”
“Government officials?”
“Yes.”
“Foreign agents?”
“Yes.”
“Criminal organizations?”
“Yes.”
Lena whispered:
“And whoever controls the trust controls the archive.”
Daniel nodded.
“Your daughter is the only person legally capable of opening it.”
Ethan understood.
“They kidnapped her because of the archive.”
“Exactly.”
“Where is she?”
Daniel looked toward the river.
“I know.”
They followed him to an abandoned warehouse.
Inside, they found dozens of computers.
A single monitor displayed a live camera feed.
The little girl sat in a chair.
She wasn't crying.
She was holding her red bucket.
Ethan's heart broke.
“Sweetheart.”
She looked toward the camera.
“Daddy?”
Ethan nearly collapsed.
“I'm coming.”
A man's voice came through the speakers.
“Ethan.”
He recognized it.
His father.
“You have one hour.”
“To do what?”
“Bring Daniel.”
Daniel froze.
“Why?”
His father's voice answered:
“Because he has the second half of the key.”
Lena looked at Daniel.
“What key?”
Daniel's face became pale.
“The one that unlocks the archive.”
Ethan stared.
“What did you do?”
Daniel whispered:
“I helped your father build it.”
Silence.
“I was never his victim.”
He looked at Ethan.
“I was his partner.”
Lena stepped backward.
“You're lying.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I wish I were.”
He looked toward the camera.
“I'm sorry.”
Then the screen went black.
A countdown appeared.
59:59
Ethan stared at his brother.
“Start talking.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Your father didn't create the Mercer empire.”
“Who did?”
May you like
Daniel looked at Lena.
“Your mother.”
