CHAPTER 17 — THE MAN BURIED BENEATH THE GRAVEYARD
The police sirens grew louder.
Blue and red lights flashed through the cracks of the old house.
But Edward was gone.
The vault door stood open.
The room beyond it was empty.
Emily stared at the space where her grandfather had been standing.
“How did he disappear?”
Thomas shook his head.
“There is another exit.”
Daniel looked around.
“Where?”
Thomas pointed toward the floor.
“Under the table.”
Richard pulled the table aside.
A metal hatch appeared.
Victor cursed.
“He planned this.”
Thomas nodded.
“He always does.”
Emily looked at Margaret.
“You said Jonathan is beneath the cemetery.”
Margaret nodded.
“For eight years.”
“Why didn't you tell us?”
“Because I was afraid Edward would find him.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You knew my father was alive.”
“Yes.”
“You knew where he was.”
“Yes.”
“And you watched me live my entire life believing he abandoned me.”
Margaret began crying.
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“You don't get to use that excuse anymore.”
Emily touched his arm.
“Daniel.”
He looked at her.
She could see the pain behind his anger.
For the first time, he wasn't trying to hide it.
Thomas picked up the black case containing Anna's recordings.
“We have to move.”
Richard nodded.
“The cemetery.”
They left the house through the rear entrance.
The old cemetery was less than a mile away.
Rain had begun falling.
Cold.
Heavy.
Emily walked beside Daniel.
Neither spoke.
Finally, Daniel said—
“If Jonathan is really my father…”
“He is.”
“You're sure?”
Emily looked at him.
“Yes.”
Daniel stared at the ground.
“What if he doesn't want me?”
Emily stopped walking.
Daniel looked at her.
“You spent your whole life believing your father abandoned you,” she said.
“And now?”
“He's alive.”
Daniel swallowed.
“That doesn't mean he wants me.”
Emily took his hand.
“You don't know that.”
He looked at her.
“Neither did you.”
Emily smiled sadly.
“And my father did.”
They continued.
At the cemetery entrance, Thomas stopped.
“Anna's grave is over there.”
Emily looked at the old stone.
Her mother's name was almost unreadable beneath years of rain.
ANNA CARTER
Emily walked toward it.
She knelt.
Her fingers touched the stone.
“I found you.”
Thomas stood behind her.
“I never stopped looking.”
Emily looked back.
“You knew this was where Jonathan was hiding.”
“I suspected.”
Richard shook his head.
“You knew.”
Thomas looked at him.
“Not enough.”
Richard pointed toward the ground.
“There.”
A rectangular section of earth looked newer than the rest.
Daniel crouched.
He brushed away the mud.
A metal handle appeared.
Emily's heart began pounding.
Daniel pulled.
A hidden door opened.
Cold air rose from below.
Thomas whispered—
“Jonathan.”
They descended.
The tunnel was narrow.
At the bottom was a concrete room.
A small bed.
A table.
Several books.
A radio.
And an old man sitting beside a lamp.
Gray hair.
Thin face.
A scar above his eyebrow.
Daniel stopped.
The man looked up.
Their eyes met.
Neither moved.
Then the man whispered—
“Daniel?”
Daniel's breath caught.
“Dad?”
Jonathan stood.
His hands trembled.
“You're alive.”
Daniel laughed through tears.
“So are you.”
Jonathan crossed the room.
He stopped inches from his son.
For several seconds, he simply stared.
Then he reached out.
He touched Daniel's face.
“I thought they killed you.”
Daniel's voice broke.
“I thought you abandoned me.”
Jonathan closed his eyes.
“No.”
He pulled Daniel into his arms.
“I searched for you for twenty years.”
Daniel held him tightly.
Emily looked away.
Thomas wiped his eyes.
Richard stood silently.
Then Jonathan saw Emily.
His expression changed.
“Anna's daughter.”
Emily nodded.
“You knew my mother?”
Jonathan smiled.
“She saved my life.”
“How?”
“She warned me about Edward.”
Emily stepped closer.
“What did she know?”
Jonathan looked at Thomas.
Then at Richard.
“Everything.”
He walked to the table.
Opened a drawer.
Removed a thick folder.
“This is the original Project 36.”
Emily's stomach tightened.
“We already found a copy.”
Jonathan shook his head.
“No.”
He placed the folder on the table.
“The copy was designed to make you believe Edward was the mastermind.”
Emily stared.
“But he was.”
“Partly.”
Jonathan opened the folder.
A financial statement appeared.
Emily read the first line.
ORIGINAL PROJECT 36 FUNDING SOURCE
She scrolled.
Then stopped.
Her face went pale.
“Carter Family Foundation?”
Jonathan nodded.
“That was the public source.”
“What was the private source?”
Jonathan turned the page.
A shell company appeared.
A.C. PRIVATE TRUST.
Emily stared.
“A.C.”
Anna Carter.
Jonathan nodded.
“Your mother secretly funded the first stage.”
Emily looked confused.
“Why would she fund a project designed to control me?”
“She didn't.”
Jonathan turned another page.
“The account was created using her identity.”
Emily's heart dropped.
“Forged?”
“Yes.”
“By Edward?”
Jonathan shook his head.
“By someone else.”
Emily looked at him.
“Who?”
Jonathan hesitated.
Then said—
“Thomas.”
Emily turned toward her father.
“What?”
Thomas looked devastated.
Jonathan continued.
“Your father created the account.”
Emily stared at Thomas.
“You used Mom's name?”
Thomas shook his head.
“I had no choice.”
Jonathan looked at him.
“You always say that.”
Thomas's face hardened.
“What was I supposed to do?”
“Tell her the truth.”
“I was protecting her.”
Jonathan slammed his hand on the table.
“You were protecting the plan.”
Silence.
Emily looked between them.
“What plan?”
Jonathan took a breath.
“Thomas knew Edward was watching you.”
“He knew Victor was watching you.”
“And he knew Margaret was being used.”
“So he created a counter-operation.”
Emily whispered—
“Project 36.”
Jonathan nodded.
“But Edward discovered it.”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“And took control.”
Jonathan looked at Emily.
“Your father started Project 36.”
Emily felt betrayed.
“You lied to me.”
Thomas nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the only way to defeat Edward was to make him believe he had created the game.”
Emily stared.
“And Daniel?”
Thomas looked at Jonathan.
“I selected him.”
Jonathan's expression hardened.
“You selected my son.”
“I knew Edward would choose him eventually.”
“So you let him.”
Thomas nodded.
“I needed Daniel close to Emily.”
Daniel stared at his father.
“And you knew?”
Jonathan looked at him.
“I knew your identity had been changed.”
“But I didn't know Thomas had chosen you.”
Daniel turned toward Thomas.
“You made me part of this.”
Thomas nodded.
“I did.”
Daniel's voice became cold.
“You took my childhood.”
“I know.”
“You took my identity.”
“I know.”
“You took my choice.”
Thomas couldn't answer.
Emily stepped between them.
“Enough.”
She looked at Thomas.
“I understand why you did it.”
Thomas looked at her.
“But that doesn't make it right.”
He nodded.
“No.”
Jonathan closed the folder.
“There is one thing you still don't know.”
Emily looked at him.
“What?”
Jonathan pulled out a final document.
A bank transfer.
The amount was enormous.
$86,000,000.
Recipient:
CARTER FOUNDATION — ORIGINAL TRUST
Sender:
A.C. PRIVATE TRUST
Emily stared.
“That's my mother's account.”
Jonathan nodded.
“The money wasn't stolen.”
“It was hidden.”
Emily looked at Thomas.
“Where?”
Thomas whispered—
“Beneath the original trust.”
Emily frowned.
“I don't understand.”
Jonathan pointed at the document.
“Carter Holdings isn't worth three hundred million.”
Emily looked at him.
“Then how much?”
Jonathan answered—
“Almost one billion.”
Silence.
Emily felt dizzy.
Jonathan continued.
“And the person who owns the controlling interest isn't you.”
Emily's heart stopped.
“Who?”
Jonathan looked at Daniel.
“Both of you.”
Daniel stared.
Emily looked at the document.
A second line appeared beneath their names.
JOINT BENEFICIARIES — EMILY CARTER & DANIEL REED
Then Jonathan said the words that changed everything.
“The trust was never designed to make Emily powerful.”
He looked at Daniel.
“It was designed to make sure neither of you could ever be controlled alone.”
A loud explosion shook the cemetery.
The lights went out.
Jonathan grabbed the folder.
Thomas shouted—
“Everyone down!”
Gunfire erupted above them.
Richard looked toward the ceiling.
“They found us.”
Emily grabbed Daniel's hand.
“Victor?”
Jonathan shook his head.
“No.”
He looked terrified.
“Worse.”
“Who?”
Jonathan whispered—
“Edward.”
Then a voice came through the radio.
Calm.
Cold.
Unmistakable.
“Jonathan.”
Everyone froze.
Edward's voice continued.
“You've had my son long enough.”
Daniel stared at the radio.
Edward laughed.
“Now bring him to me.”
Jonathan stepped in front of Daniel.
“No.”
The radio crackled.
“Then I'll take all of you.”
The signal died.
Jonathan looked at Emily.
“There is one place Edward cannot enter.”
“Where?”
Jonathan pointed toward the tunnel.
“The original Carter vault.”
Thomas shook his head.
“We don't have access.”
Emily looked at the red key.
Then at Daniel.
May you like
“Yes.”
“We do.”
