Chapter 8 - THE MAN IN THE DARK
A figure limped toward them.
Thin.
Bearded.
One arm in a makeshift sling.
Eli stopped breathing.
“Dad.”
Daniel Carter—Daniel Harlan—stepped into the weak daylight.
For a second, father and son simply stared at each other.
Then Eli ran.
Daniel caught him with one good arm.
The boy hit him so hard they nearly fell.
“You idiot!” Eli shouted into his chest.
Daniel held him tighter.
“I know.”
“You left me!”
“I know.”
“You didn’t call!”
“I know.”
“I thought you were dead!”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“I know.”
Eli hit his father once in the chest.
Then again.
Daniel let him.
Finally the punches stopped.
Eli buried his face against him.
Daniel whispered, “I’m sorry, buddy.”
Thomas Harlan stood several feet away.
His son looked older.
Scarred.
Tired.
Alive.
Daniel lifted his head.
“Dad.”
Thomas’s eyes filled.
“You son of a bitch.”
Daniel almost laughed.
“Good to see you too.”
Thomas walked forward.
For a second it seemed he might hit him.
Instead, he pulled Daniel into an embrace.
Twelve years of funerals, regret, anger, and unanswered questions collapsed into that one moment.
Then Daniel whispered, “We need to move.”
Harlan stepped back.
“Knox?”
“Close.”
Daniel led them deeper into the tunnel.
An abandoned utility room had been turned into a temporary hideout.
Maps covered the walls.
Radios.
Medical supplies.
Photographs.
Daniel pointed at the laptop.
“You brought it?”
“The fake one.”
Daniel smiled.
“You remembered.”
“You taught me misdirection.”
Daniel nodded toward his father’s jacket.
“The drive?”
“Safe.”
Eli looked between them.
“Can somebody explain why Marcus knew where we were?”
Daniel’s face darkened.
“He tracked the pendant.”
Eli looked down.
“What?”
Daniel took the silver hawk from him and cracked the rear casing.
A tiny electronic chip fell into his palm.
“I didn’t put this there.”
Harlan frowned.
“Then who did?”
Daniel looked at his son.
“When did you last take it off?”
Eli thought.
“Mom’s funeral.”
“Who had it?”
“The funeral director. They made me take it off before…”
His voice stopped.
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Knox had someone there.”
Eli stared at the pendant.
“So he’s been able to find me this whole time?”
“Yes.”
The truth hit him hard.
Daniel continued.
“That’s why I couldn’t stay near you. Every time I moved closer, Knox moved closer too.”
“Then why send me to the range?”
“Because I finally had enough evidence to end this.”
Daniel looked at Thomas.
“And because I knew Dad would be there.”
Harlan narrowed his eyes.
“How?”
“Your charity event was on Knox’s calendar.”
Thomas felt sick.
Daniel placed the tracker on the table.
Then his eyes widened.
The small light was still blinking.
Luis whispered, “Daniel…”
Daniel looked toward the tunnel entrance.
“If they’re tracking that thing…”
An explosion shook the walls.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
May you like
Daniel grabbed Eli.
“They’re already here.”
