Chapter 10 - BLACKWOOD ISLAND

Blackwood Island sat twelve miles off the Maine coast.

Officially, nobody had lived there since 2004.

Adrian had not returned since he was fifteen.

The house had belonged to his grandfather.

Then his father.

Then technically Adrian.

He had kept it closed because the place held too many memories.

His mother’s illness.

His father’s rage.

Daniel’s bruised face after arguments no one explained.

Now he understood why Thomas had insisted the island remain untouched.

It was never abandoned.

It was headquarters.

Adrian stood in the chapel while paramedics treated Anna.

Lily refused to release her hand.

Victoria arrived forty minutes later.

Adrian watched her enter.

Black coat.

Wet hair.

No makeup.

No guards.

She looked exhausted.

Ronan immediately aimed a weapon.

Victoria stopped.

“Fair.”

Adrian walked toward her.

“You lied to me.”

“Yes.”

“You used me.”

“Yes.”

“You knew my father was alive.”

She hesitated.

“Yes.”

His expression hardened.

“For how long?”

“Since I was sixteen.”

He almost laughed.

“You were trained for this.”

“Yes.”

“To marry me.”

“Yes.”

“To help kill me.”

Victoria looked down.

“Yes.”

Anna watched from across the chapel.

Lily slept against her chest.

Adrian looked back at Victoria.

“Why should I believe anything you say now?”

“You shouldn’t.”

That answer surprised him.

Victoria continued.

“But I can get you onto the island.”

“How?”

“My mother had access codes.”

“She changed them every seventy-two hours.”

“How do you know the current ones?”

“She sent them to me before you came home.”

“Why?”

Victoria’s eyes filled.

“Because she knew Thomas was going to kill her.”

Adrian looked toward Evelyn’s covered body.

For all her crimes, she had died trapped inside a machine Thomas created.

Victoria took out her phone.

“There’s something else.”

She showed Adrian a message.

One sentence.

IF I FAIL, TELL ADRIAN DANIEL IS ALIVE.

Adrian stopped breathing.

Anna stood.

“What?”

Victoria looked at her.

“My mother believed Daniel survived.”

“Where is he?”

“Blackwood Island.”

Anna’s face crumpled.

Lily woke.

“Mommy?”

Anna pulled her closer.

Adrian stared at Victoria.

“You’re sure?”

“No.”

“My mother never saw him.”

“She heard Thomas mention a prisoner called D.”

Ronan looked at Adrian.

“That could mean anything.”

Adrian’s expression had already changed.

He was going.

They left before dawn.

Anna and Lily were moved to a secure medical facility under false names.

Victoria stayed with them.

Adrian did not trust her.

But he trusted Thomas less.

Ronan joined Adrian aboard a fishing vessel instead of a helicopter.

The island appeared through fog just after sunrise.

Black cliffs.

Dense pines.

An old stone mansion overlooking the sea.

No visible movement.

No boats.

No guards.

Too quiet.

They landed on the eastern side.

Ronan checked his rifle.

“This feels wrong.”

“It is.”

They climbed toward the mansion.

The front door was unlocked.

Inside, dust covered the entrance hall.

But only near the windows.

The center floor was clean.

People walked here.

Recently.

Adrian followed the marks.

Down a staircase.

Through a reinforced door.

Into a modern underground complex hidden beneath the old house.

Monitors covered the walls.

Servers hummed.

Security feeds showed properties across the country.

Including Blackwood Manor.

Including Anna’s hospital.

Adrian’s face hardened.

“They’re watching everything.”

Ronan pointed.

“Door.”

At the end of the corridor stood a heavy glass chamber.

A man was sitting inside.

Thin.

Bearded.

Older.

His hair streaked with gray.

Adrian stopped.

For one impossible second, he was fifteen again.

Two brothers running through pine trees.

Fighting.

Laughing.

Promising they would escape their father someday.

The man slowly lifted his head.

Their eyes met.

Adrian whispered.

“Daniel?”

The man stood.

His knees almost failed.

He moved toward the glass.

Placed one hand against it.

Adrian did the same.

Daniel’s lips trembled.

“You got old.”

Adrian laughed once.

Then his eyes filled.

“So did you.”

Daniel looked behind Adrian.

Fear replaced everything.

“Where is Lily?”

“She’s safe.”

Daniel shook his head violently.

“No.”

“No one is safe.”

“What do you mean?”

Daniel stepped closer to the glass.

“Thomas planned all of this.”

“Your marriage.”

“Anna finding the tunnels.”

“Julian stealing the ledger.”

“Evelyn dying.”

Adrian stared.

“Why?”

Daniel looked terrified.

“Because he needed you angry enough to come here.”

A steel door slammed behind Adrian.

Ronan turned.

Red lights flooded the corridor.

Locks engaged.

Then speakers crackled overhead.

A voice filled the underground complex.

Older.

Calm.

Familiar.

Adrian had not heard it in twelve years.

“Welcome home, son.”

Adrian froze.

Thomas Blackwood.

Daniel backed away from the glass.

Adrian looked toward the ceiling.

Thomas laughed softly through the speakers.

“You spent your whole life trying to become more powerful than me.”

“Now we can finally see if you succeeded.”

A countdown appeared on every monitor.

14:59.

Fourteen minutes.

Fifty-nine seconds.

Ronan looked at Adrian.

“What happens at zero?”

Daniel began pounding against the glass.

“Adrian!”

“Listen to me!”

“The island is rigged!”

Adrian stared at the countdown.

Daniel screamed.

“He’s going to sink the entire facility!”

The clock kept moving.

14:42.

14:41.

14:40.

And somewhere inside the island...

Thomas Blackwood was waiting.

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