Chapter 3 - DYLAN’S FATHER
“Call the police.”
Dylan said it immediately.
Maya shook her head.
“With what?”
“With this!”
Jake held up the phone.
“We have a threat.”
“From an unknown number.”
“They sent a picture of Lily!”
“And what happens when they say some student took it?”
Jake stared at her.
“So we do nothing?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Dylan grabbed Jake’s shoulder.
“My dad.”
Jake looked at him.
“What?”
“Send everything to my dad.”
“Why?”
“Because if they take your phone, the video disappears.”
Jake understood immediately.
Dylan’s father, Mark Cooper, owned a small auto repair shop six blocks from the school.
Jake had met him a dozen times.
Quiet guy.
Work boots.
Oil under his fingernails.
Never said much.
But Dylan trusted him.
Jake forwarded the video.
Then the texts.
Then Maya’s list.
SEND.
Three seconds later, Dylan’s phone rang.
DAD.
Dylan answered.
“Hey.”
Mark’s voice came through loud enough for all three of them to hear.
“Where are you?”
“School.”
“Are you safe?”
“I think so.”
“Do not go anywhere alone.”
“Dad—”
“I’m coming.”
The call ended.
Maya exhaled.
“Well, that was fast.”
Mark arrived twelve minutes later.
He didn’t storm into the building.
He didn’t scream.
That somehow made him scarier.
He met them behind the gym.
He watched the video once.
Then again.
Then a third time.
His jaw tightened.
“When did this start?”
Dylan looked away.
“Couple months ago.”
Mark stared at his son.
“You knew?”
“I thought I could handle it.”
“Handle what?”
Dylan’s eyes filled.
“He said if I paid him, he’d make sure I passed.”
Mark’s expression hardened.
“You were already passing.”
“I know.”
“Then why would you pay?”
Dylan swallowed.
“Because he changed my grades.”
Mark went still.
“What?”
“He started giving me zeros.”
Jake felt his stomach drop.
Dylan continued.
“Tests I passed. Assignments I turned in. He changed them.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I knew what you’d do.”
“What would I do?”
“You’d come here.”
Mark stared at him.
“And?”
“And I didn’t want them coming after you too.”
That hit harder than anything else.
Mark stepped away and rubbed both hands over his face.
For a moment, he looked exhausted.
Then he looked at Maya.
“Give me the list.”
She hesitated.
“Sir—”
“Please.”
She handed it over.
Mark scanned the names.
Halfway down, he stopped.
His face changed.
Jake noticed.
“What?”
Mark didn’t answer.
“Mr. Cooper?”
Mark pointed at one name.
ADAM COOPER — $1,200.
Dylan stared at it.
“Who’s Adam?”
Mark slowly folded the paper.
“My brother.”
Dylan blinked.
“You don’t have a brother.”
Mark looked at his son.
“I did.”
Silence.
“What happened to him?”
Mark’s eyes stayed on the list.
“He died nineteen years ago.”
Jake felt cold all over.
Maya whispered, “He went to this school?”
Mark nodded.
Dylan took a step closer.
“Dad, what happened?”
Mark looked toward the administration building.
“The school said it was an accident.”
A long pause.
“I never believed them.”
Then Mark’s phone rang.
The screen showed no caller ID.
He answered.
Nobody spoke for five seconds.
May you like
Then a distorted voice said:
“You should’ve stayed away the first time, Mark.”
