Chapter 15: The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Silence swallowed the underground chamber.
Even the gunfire outside seemed distant.
Emma stared at the man standing in the mouth of the tunnel.
He looked to be in his late sixties.
Silver hair.
A long charcoal overcoat.
A faint scar ran from his left temple to his jaw.
His eyes were calmâalmost gentle.
Nothing about him resembled the ruthless mastermind the FBI had been hunting.
Yet Richard Lawson looked as though he had seen a ghost.
His lips trembled.
"No..."
"This is impossible."
The stranger smiled sadly.
"I've heard those words many times."
Emma tightened her hold on Lily.
"Who are you?"
The man looked at her for a long moment.
His expression softened.
"You have your mother's eyes."
Emma froze.
"What did you say?"
Instead of answering, he turned to Richard.
"You told them I died."
Richard swallowed hard.
"Because I watched your coffin being buried."
The man nodded.
"You watched a funeral."
"You never saw the body."
Claire Donovan raised her pistol.
"Don't move."
The man didn't even glance at her.
"My name is..."
He paused.
"Asher Mitchell."
Emma felt the air leave her lungs.
Mitchell.
Her surname before marrying Adrian.
Richard whispered,
"Thomas's younger brother..."
"You were declared dead thirty years ago."
Asher gave a faint smile.
"So the world believes."
At that moment...
A groan echoed from the tunnel.
"Emma..."
Adrian.
Emma's heart lurched.
She ran forward before Claire could stop her.
Twenty feet into the tunnel, she found Adrian leaning against the stone wall.
Blood stained the sleeve of his tuxedo jacket.
A bullet had grazed his upper arm.
"I'm okay," he said through clenched teeth.
Emma quickly examined the wound.
"It went through."
"You'll live."
Adrian smiled weakly.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
Behind him lay the unconscious masked man who had stolen the cradle.
The cradle itself rested against the wall, untouched.
Adrian had gotten it back.
Back in the chamber...
Claire never lowered her weapon.
"Asher Mitchell."
"You're under arrest for conspiracy, kidnapping, attempted murder, and the deaths of multiple federal agents."
Asher looked at her calmly.
"If I wanted to escape..."
"I would've left before you arrived."
Claire frowned.
"Then why stay?"
He looked at Emma.
"Because only she can hear the truth."
Richard stepped forward.
"What truth?"
Asher's eyes darkened.
"The truth Thomas and William never had the courage to tell."
He slowly removed an old leather wallet from his coat.
Inside was a faded photograph.
Three young men stood beside Black Pine Lake.
William Carter.
Thomas Mitchell.
And Asher Mitchell.
All smiling.
All brothers in everything except blood.
Emma studied the picture.
"My father never told me he had a brother."
Asher nodded.
"He thought I was dead."
Richard shook his head.
"No."
"He knew."
Asher looked at him.
"Exactly."
Silence.
Emma stared between them.
"My father knew you were alive?"
"Yes."
"And he lied to me?"
Asher closed his eyes.
"He lied to protect you."
Claire interrupted.
"Enough."
"People have died."
"If you know who's behind this, start talking."
Asher looked directly at her.
"I am not your enemy."
Claire's voice hardened.
"The evidence says otherwise."
"No."
"The evidence has been arranged."
He slowly reached into his coat.
Every FBI agent aimed their weapons.
Instead of a gun...
He produced a small brass key.
Worn smooth with age.
He handed it to Emma.
"This belongs to you."
Emma frowned.
"What is it?"
"The second key."
Richard looked shocked.
"The vault..."
Asher nodded.
"The room you opened today was only the outer chamber."
Everyone fell silent.
"There is another vault."
"Beneath this one."
Richard whispered,
"William never mentioned a second vault."
"He couldn't."
"Only two people knew it existed."
"You..."
"And Thomas?"
Asher nodded.
Emma looked at the brass key.
"What's inside?"
Asher answered quietly.
"The truth."
Before anyone could ask another questionâ
A loud explosion shook the mountain.
The lights flickered.
Dust poured from the ceiling.
Claire pressed a hand to her earpiece.
"Report!"
Static.
Only static.
Then a frightened voice broke through.
"Agent Donovan!"
"They're retreating!"
Claire frowned.
"What?"
"The attackers are leaving!"
No one moved.
Victor Kane and his men...
Were abandoning the assault.
Outside...
Black SUVs disappeared down the logging road.
Smoke drifted between the trees.
The attack was over.
Too suddenly.
Too cleanly.
Claire didn't like it.
"It's a diversion."
Inside the tunnel...
An FBI medic finished bandaging Adrian's arm.
"It missed the artery."
"You were lucky."
Adrian looked toward Emma.
"I've been luckier today than I deserved."
Emma didn't reply.
But she didn't look away either.
Asher walked to the steel vault.
He placed his hand against the cold metal.
"I've waited thirty years to return."
He looked at Emma.
"Your father asked me to protect something."
Emma tightened her grip on the brass key.
"What?"
Asher smiled sadly.
"Not something."
"Someone."
Emma frowned.
"Who?"
Before Asher could answerâ
Lily suddenly reached both tiny hands toward him.
The baby giggled.
Asher's eyes filled with tears.
He stepped back as though struck.
"No..."
His voice cracked.
"It can't be."
Emma looked confused.
"What is it?"
Asher whispered,
"She has her smile."
"Whose smile?"
He slowly looked at Emma.
"Her grandmother's."
Emma felt her heart pound.
"My mother?"
Asher nodded.
"I made her a promise."
"What promise?"
"That if anything ever happened to Thomas..."
"I would spend the rest of my life protecting his family."
Richard stared in disbelief.
"You've been protecting them?"
Asher looked at him.
"From the shadows."
Claire lowered her weapon slightly.
"If that's true..."
"Then who ordered the attacks?"
For the first time...
Fear crossed Asher's face.
He spoke only one name.
"Alexander Volkov."
Richard's expression changed instantly.
"That's impossible."
"We investigated him."
"You investigated the wrong man."
Asher slowly shook his head.
"The Alexander Volkov you've been chasing..."
"...died twelve years ago."
Silence.
Claire frowned.
"Then who have we been hunting?"
Asher looked toward the darkness beyond the tunnel.
His answer sent a chill through everyone in the room.
"The man using his name."
At that exact moment...
Claire's secure satellite phone rang.
Only FBI headquarters had that number.
She answered immediately.
"Donovan."
Her face turned pale.
"What do you mean... he's gone?"
The room fell silent.
She lowered the phone.
Richard spoke first.
"What happened?"
Claire looked directly at Emma.
"Someone just broke into Carter Manor."
She paused.
"They didn't steal money."
"They didn't steal company records."
"They stole William Carter's coffin."
No one spoke.
Claire swallowed.
May you like
"The grave..."
"...is empty."
