Chapter 12 - The Mother Ethan Thought Was Dead
The first window shattered upstairs.
Daniel pushed Ethan behind an engine block.
“Stay down.”
Michael drew a small flashlight.
Carol grabbed a tire iron.
Daniel looked at her.
“Seriously?”
“It’s my brother’s shop.”
Footsteps moved overhead.
Michael pointed toward a narrow service tunnel.
“Back exit?”
Carol nodded.
“Leads to the alley.”
“Take Ethan.”
Ethan grabbed Michael.
“No!”
His father held his face.
“I’m right behind you.”
“You said that before.”
Michael’s expression broke.
Daniel looked away.
He understood that kind of promise.
The kind adults made because the truth was too ugly for children.
Carol pulled Ethan toward the tunnel.
Daniel and Michael stayed behind.
The basement door burst open.
A flashlight beam swept across the room.
Daniel knocked the first man down.
Michael tackled another.
Someone shouted upstairs.
Then fire erupted through a broken window.
Carol screamed.
“They’re burning the shop!”
Smoke rolled across the ceiling.
Daniel grabbed Michael.
“Move!”
They ran into the tunnel.
Behind them, flames climbed the stairs.
They emerged in the alley where Carol and Ethan waited.
Michael looked around.
“No cars.”
Daniel pointed.
“We go on foot.”
Then Ethan froze.
Across the street stood a woman beneath a streetlamp.
Dark coat.
Long hair moving in the rain.
She looked directly at him.
Ethan whispered:
“Mom?”
Michael turned.
His face emptied.
Rachel Cole stepped into the light.
Older.
Alive.
Ethan ran.
“Mom!”
Daniel grabbed him before he reached the street.
“Let me go!”
Rachel didn’t move.
She simply stared at her son.
Tears filled her eyes.
Then three black SUVs turned the corner behind her.
Michael raised his voice.
“Rachel!”
She looked at him.
“Give me the key.”
Ethan stopped struggling.
His face shattered.
“What?”
Rachel stepped closer.
“I need it, sweetheart.”
Michael whispered:
“Don’t.”
Rachel’s expression hardened.
“Michael, you don’t understand what’s happening.”
“I understand enough.”
“No, you don’t.”
She looked at Daniel.
“Neither do you.”
Daniel stared back.
“Then explain it.”
Rachel took one more step.
“Shaw isn’t running the network.”
Daniel frowned.
“Who is?”
Rachel looked toward Ethan.
Then at Michael.
And finally at Daniel.
“You are.”
Daniel felt the world tilt.
The next chapters are on the left side of your screen.
May you like
If you enjoyed the story, bookmark my site: https://metro.treeiq.biz
New stories are posted daily, so check back for updates.
