Chapter 7 — The Man Behind Teresa
Chapter 7 — The Man Behind Teresa
Daniel Mercer had been in my life for almost as long as I could remember.
He had been my father's lawyer.
My lawyer.
The man who had explained my first business contract.
The man who had attended my wedding.
The man who had helped me buy the house.
The man who had sat across from me only hours earlier and told me to trust my wife.
Now his name was glowing on a computer screen beneath a single word.
ACTIVE.
I couldn't move.
Amy stood beside me.
“What does that mean?”
I didn't answer.
Laura did.
“It means Daniel is still working.”
“For the Consortium?”
Laura nodded.
I stared at the database.
“How long?”
“Twenty-five years,” Samuel said.
My jaw tightened.
“Twenty-five?”
“He was there before your father died.”
“Then he knew.”
“Yes.”
“He knew about the babies.”
“Yes.”
“He knew about Frederick.”
“Yes.”
“And he helped my mother?”
Samuel looked at me.
“Not exactly.”
I turned.
“What does that mean?”
“Teresa believes she's controlling Daniel.”
“But she isn't.”
“No.”
“Then who's controlling her?”
Samuel pointed at the screen.
“That's what we're about to find out.”
We left the tunnel before Daniel could trace the system.
Samuel shut down the servers.
Laura removed the encryption key.
I wanted to destroy everything.
Every file.
Every photograph.
Every name.
But I knew better.
This evidence was the only thing keeping Frederick alive.
If Daniel discovered we had copied it, he'd know exactly what we had.
So we took nothing.
Except one drive.
Laura insisted.
“The database is too large to move.”
“What did you copy?”
“The administrative records.”
“Why?”
“Because they tell us who controls it.”
I looked at the drive.
“Can we open it?”
“Not here.”
“Where?”
Laura looked at Samuel.
He nodded.
“There is another safe house.”
“Where?”
“Twenty miles east.”
I looked at Amy.
She held Frederick.
“Let's go.”
We were halfway to the safe house when my phone rang.
Teresa.
I answered.
“Mom.”
Her voice was shaking.
“Connor.”
“Where are you?”
“I'm at the house.”
“What house?”
“Your house.”
My grip tightened.
“How did you get inside?”
“The police released me.”
I looked at Samuel.
He immediately shook his head.
“That shouldn't be possible.”
I put the phone on speaker.
“Why are you there?”
“Because I need to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“Daniel.”
I froze.
“What about him?”
“He isn't who you think he is.”
I laughed bitterly.
“I know.”
“No.”
She sounded desperate.
“You don't.”
“Then tell me.”
Silence.
“Mom.”
She whispered:
“Daniel works for your grandfather.”
I frowned.
“My grandfather is dead.”
“I know.”
“Then how?”
“He left instructions.”
“What instructions?”
“That if M-17 ever appeared again, Daniel was to recover it.”
I looked at Laura.
She was staring at me.
“Recover it for whom?”
Teresa hesitated.
“Your grandfather.”
“What does he want with it?”
“He doesn't.”
I felt cold.
“Then who does?”
My mother whispered:
“His son.”
I stopped breathing.
“Grandpa had another son?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Teresa's voice cracked.
“Richard.”
I stared.
“Richard Hale?”
“Yes.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It does.”
She took a breath.
“Richard is your grandfather's illegitimate son.”
The car went silent.
I looked at Laura.
She closed her eyes.
She knew.
“You knew?”
She nodded.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because your father made me promise.”
I felt anger rising.
“Everyone keeps making promises for me.”
Teresa began crying.
“Connor, listen to me.”
“I'm listening.”
“Richard has been manipulating this family for thirty years.”
“Why?”
“Because he believes M-17 belongs to him.”
“Why?”
“Because he believes he inherited it.”
I frowned.
“Inherited what?”
“Your grandfather's research.”
“And the database?”
“Everything.”
The line went silent.
I asked:
“Where are you?”
“At your house.”
“Leave.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because he's here.”
My heart stopped.
“Who?”
“Richard.”
I looked at Samuel.
He reached for his weapon.
“Is he alone?”
“No.”
“Who else?”
“Daniel.”
I felt cold.
“Mom, listen carefully.”
“Yes.”
“Do exactly what I say.”
We turned the car around.
Amy grabbed my arm.
“Connor, no.”
“We can't leave her.”
“She tried to take Frederick.”
“I know.”
“She lied to us.”
“I know.”
“She could be setting us up.”
“I know.”
“Then why go?”
I looked at her.
“Because if Richard has Daniel and Teresa together, they know something we don't.”
Samuel nodded.
“She may be telling the truth.”
Laura looked at me.
“Or it's a trap.”
I knew.
But I also knew one thing.
If Richard wanted Frederick, he wouldn't wait.
We drove back.
The house was dark.
Every light was off.
The police were gone.
I parked two streets away.
Samuel checked the perimeter.
“No vehicles.”
“That means nothing.”
He nodded.
We approached through the backyard.
The kitchen door was open.
I stopped.
My mother had never left doors unlocked.
Someone had done it deliberately.
We entered.
The house smelled like smoke.
The furniture had been moved.
Drawers were open.
Documents were scattered across the floor.
Then I heard my mother's voice.
“Connor?”
“Mom?”
“Upstairs.”
I looked at Laura.
She shook her head.
“Don't.”
But I was already moving.
I climbed the stairs.
The hallway was empty.
My mother's bedroom door was open.
I entered.
She was sitting on the floor.
Her hands were tied.
There was blood on her forehead.
“Mom!”
I ran toward her.
Samuel grabbed me.
“Wait.”
He searched the room.
Nothing.
Then he cut the rope.
My mother collapsed against me.
“Where is he?”
She looked at me.
“Richard.”
“Where?”
“He took Daniel.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He wanted the database.”
“Did he get it?”
“No.”
“Where is it?”
She looked at me.
“You have it.”
My blood went cold.
“How do you know?”
“Because Daniel told him.”
I stared.
“What did Daniel tell him?”
“That you found the tunnel.”
“And?”
“He told Richard the database was still inside.”
I frowned.
“It isn't.”
“I know.”
She looked terrified.
“Richard doesn't.”
We moved Teresa into the living room.
Amy stayed with her.
I confronted my mother.
“Tell me everything.”
She looked at Laura.
“No.”
“You don't get to choose anymore.”
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“Connor…”
“What happened to Dad?”
She began crying.
“Your father discovered Richard was his half-brother.”
“I know.”
“He confronted him.”
“When?”
“Three weeks before the accident.”
“And?”
“Richard threatened him.”
“What did he threaten?”
“You.”
I felt cold.
“Me?”
“He said he'd take you.”
“How?”
“He had evidence that your father had violated the Consortium's agreements.”
“Was it true?”
“Yes.”
My stomach tightened.
“What did Dad do?”
“He tried to expose Richard.”
“And Daniel?”
“Daniel betrayed him.”
I looked at Laura.
She nodded.
“Daniel gave Richard your father's location.”
My hands curled into fists.
“So Daniel caused the crash.”
Teresa shook her head.
“No.”
“What?”
“Daniel arranged it.”
Silence.
My father's death hadn't been an accident.
It had been arranged.
And Daniel had been involved.
But then Teresa said something that made everything worse.
“He didn't order the crash.”
“Then who did?”
She looked toward the hallway.
“Richard.”
I stared at her.
“Why didn't you tell the police?”
“Because Richard threatened me.”
“You could have told me.”
“You were a child.”
“I was twenty-two.”
“You were still his son.”
“That doesn't matter.”
“It mattered to me.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You lied to me for twenty-five years.”
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
“By protecting the man who killed my father?”
She shook her head.
“I wasn't protecting Richard.”
“Then who?”
“Myself.”
I stopped.
She looked at me.
“I was afraid.”
“For yourself?”
“For you.”
I didn't know what to say.
My mother had finally admitted it.
Not that she was innocent.
Not that she was good.
Just that she was afraid.
And somehow, that made her more human than I wanted her to be.
A noise came from the basement.
Everyone froze.
Samuel raised his gun.
“Stay here.”
We waited.
Another sound.
A metal door slammed.
Then footsteps.
Someone was coming upstairs.
Samuel positioned himself beside the doorway.
The stairs creaked.
A man appeared.
Daniel.
His shirt was torn.
Blood covered his face.
He raised his hands.
“Don't shoot.”
I stared at him.
“You.”
Daniel looked at me.
“I know.”
“You killed my father.”
“No.”
“You helped Richard.”
“Yes.”
“You betrayed my family.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Daniel looked exhausted.
“Because I was trying to keep Richard from killing you.”
I laughed.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
Daniel looked at Teresa.
Then Laura.
Then me.
“Your grandfather created the Consortium.”
Silence.
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
“He wasn't a victim.”
Laura whispered:
“He was the founder.”
Daniel nodded.
“He created M-17.”
I looked at Teresa.
She was crying.
“Why?”
Daniel answered:
“Because he believed he could create a bloodline that would survive almost anything.”
I felt sick.
“He experimented on children.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To create a biological asset.”
“What asset?”
Daniel looked toward Frederick's room.
“A human key.”
I stared.
“M-17.”
“Yes.”
“Frederick.”
“Yes.”
I wanted to hit him.
Instead, I asked:
“Why did my father steal Frederick?”
“Because he discovered what your grandfather had done.”
“And Laura?”
“She helped him.”
“Then why did she say she switched the babies?”
“Because she did.”
I frowned.
Daniel continued.
“Your father took responsibility because he knew the Consortium would kill Laura.”
I looked at my sister.
She nodded.
“He lied for me.”
“Why?”
“Because he loved me.”
I swallowed.
“And the other three children?”
Daniel lowered his eyes.
“Your grandfather had them killed.”
My blood ran cold.
“Before Dad could save them.”
“Yes.”
“And Frederick?”
“He survived.”
“Because Laura switched him.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did Richard want him?”
“Because Richard is your grandfather's biological son.”
I looked at Teresa.
“And he believes Frederick carries the inheritance.”
“Not just financial inheritance,” Daniel said.
“What else?”
“The genetic key.”
I looked at Frederick.
He was sleeping in Amy's arms.
A one-year-old child.
He didn't know what M-17 meant.
He didn't know about the Consortium.
He didn't know his biological parents were dead.
He didn't know half the world wanted him.
He only knew his mother's voice.
His father's arms.
His home.
And I suddenly understood why my father had built the trust.
Not to protect money.
Not to protect property.
To make sure that one day Frederick could choose his own life.
Daniel stepped toward me.
“There is one more thing.”
I didn't move.
“What?”
“Richard has the original M-17 records.”
My stomach tightened.
“I thought the database was here.”
“The database is a copy.”
“What?”
“The original records were removed twenty-five years ago.”
“By whom?”
Daniel looked at Teresa.
She whispered:
“Richard.”
“Where are they?”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Under the old Bradley estate.”
I stared.
“My house?”
“No.”
“Then where?”
“The house your grandfather owned before he died.”
I frowned.
“He had another estate?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Daniel gave me an address.
I recognized it immediately.
It was less than five miles from where we stood.
“And Richard is there?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he believes the original records are still hidden there.”
I looked at Samuel.
“How many people does he have?”
“Enough.”
I looked at Laura.
“Can we get there?”
She nodded.
“But there's a problem.”
“What?”
“Richard isn't interested in the records anymore.”
“Then what does he want?”
Laura looked at Frederick.
“He wants the child.”
The room went silent.
Then Teresa stood.
“I'll go.”
I stared at her.
“Why?”
“Because he'll listen to me.”
“No.”
“Connor.”
“You're staying here.”
She shook her head.
“You don't understand.”
“I understand perfectly.”
“He needs me.”
“Why?”
“Because Richard believes I know where the final key is.”
I frowned.
“The blue bracelet?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
She looked at me.
“Your grandfather hid the final key inside the person he trusted most.”
I felt cold.
“Who?”
Teresa's eyes filled with tears.
“Your father.”
I stared.
“Dad is dead.”
“Yes.”
“Then where is the key?”
She whispered:
“In the grave.”
I remembered the cemetery.
The metal plate.
The cassette.
The envelope.
I looked at Laura.
She shook her head.
“No.”
“What?”
“There's something we missed.”
“What?”
She looked terrified.
“The grave wasn't opened.”
I frowned.
“So?”
“The cemetery record says your father's coffin was never buried.”
My blood ran cold.
“What?”
Laura whispered:
“Your father's body was never in that grave.”
Silence.
I couldn't breathe.
My father had supposedly been buried twenty-five years ago.
I had stood beside that grave.
I had mourned him there.
I had spoken to him there.
But if Laura was telling the truth—
the grave was a lie.
And somewhere, someone had been keeping my father's body hidden for twenty-five years.
Then my phone vibrated.
One message.
No number.
YOU HAVE SIX HOURS.
Another followed.
BRING THE BLUE BRACELET.
Then the final message.
COME TO YOUR FATHER'S REAL GRAVE. ALONE.
I looked at Amy.
Then Frederick.
Then Laura.
My father had taken a secret to his grave.
May you like
But perhaps the greatest secret wasn't what he had buried.
It was the fact that he had never been buried at all.
