Alex’s heart hammered. “You killed my dad?” he asked, voice cracking.
Mark swallowed. “I was a … operative. We were inside the building, tasked to retrieve the artifact. It was too risky. We set a charge. It blew up.”
“You… you caused the fire that took him?” Alex’s eyes widened, tears glistening.
Daniel’s image flickered. “Mark, you chose to save the child. That’s why you disappeared. You’ve been watching him, protecting him, because you promised… you promised me you’d make this right.”
Laura felt the floor shift beneath her. The room seemed to close in, the ticking clock louder than ever.
“The organization—” Daniel’s voice faded, “—they’ll come for him. You have to get him out, now.”
Mark turned the volume up, the static breathing like a living thing.
“We have to leave,” he said, his tone flat, but his eyes flicked to Alex, pleading. “They’re already on their way.”
Alex stared at the screen, a cold dread curling in his gut. “They’re the ones who hired you? The ones who want the artifact?”
“Yes,” Mark answered, voice barely audible. “I was their inside man. I betrayed them the night the fire started, but I couldn’t let them kill you too.”
Laura placed a trembling hand on Alex’s shoulder. “We’ll get you out of this.”
Section 6 – The Escape
The house smelled of burnt wood and fresh rain as they hurriedly stuffed bags into the hallway.
“Take the car keys,” Laura said, her fingers fumbling with the brass ring.
Mark grabbed a leather jacket, his mind racing through forgotten codes and safe houses.
Alex clutched the sealed envelope, the paper slick with his own sweat.
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed outside, the sound of an engine cutting through the night.
Mark froze, his eyes snapping to the living‑room window. A dark SUV pulled up, its paint matte, its headlights dim.
“No,” Laura whispered, throat tight, as the vehicle hissed to a stop.
From the back door, a figure emerged, silhouette masked, a glint of steel catching the streetlamp.
The gun was raised, barrel pointed directly at the doorway.
“Everyone stay calm,” Mark said, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands.
Alex stared at the masked intruder, a cold realization settling over him like ice: the same organization that had hunted his father now stood before him, the very same operatives Mark had once served.
Laura’s breath hitched, eyes darting between the gun and the trembling boy.
Mark stepped forward, hands raised, his mind replaying the night of the fire, the decision that had cost a life, and the promise he’d made to a dying man.
“I’m the one you’re looking for,” he said, voice low, “but I won’t let you hurt him again.”
The masked figure hesitated, the gun’s weight shifting as if considering the weight of Mark’s words.
In that breath‑long pause, the house seemed to hold its breath with them, the darkness outside pressing in.
Then the gun clicked—
