Chapter 13 - INSIDE THE HOUSE
The front door was open.
I stepped inside.
“Close it.”
Mason’s voice came from upstairs.
I obeyed.
The smell of gasoline was immediate.
“Hands where I can see them.”
“I have the drive.”
“Put it on the table.”
I did.
“Back up.”
Mason came downstairs.
Gun in hand.
My mother was in front of him.
Her wrists tied.
Blood dried along her hairline.
“Ethan,” she whispered.
“I’m here.”
Mason smiled.
“You always were the hero type.”
“No. Just tired of you.”
His smile vanished.
“Careful.”
“Let her go.”
“After I confirm the drive.”
He picked it up.
Connected it to a laptop.
While he waited, I looked around.
Gas cans.
Electrical wires.
Propane tank near the kitchen.
He wasn’t bluffing.
Then the laptop opened.
Mason smiled.
“There we are.”
My mother looked at me.
“Run.”
He hit her.
I lunged.
Gunshot.
The sound exploded through the house.
Pain burned across my arm.
I fell into a chair.
Mom screamed.
Mason pointed the gun at my chest.
“That was stupid.”
Blood ran down my sleeve.
“Probably.”
Then we heard glass break upstairs.
Mason turned.
SWAT.
They had entered through the second floor.
He grabbed Mom and pulled her toward the kitchen.
“Back off!”
Officers shouted.
“Drop the weapon!”
Mason fired.
Everyone moved.
I saw a spark near the stove.
Then flame.
Gasoline caught instantly.
Fire raced across the floor.
“MOVE!”
Smoke filled the room.
Mason dragged Mom toward the back door.
I tackled him.
The gun slid away.
He punched me.
I punched back.
He grabbed my injured arm.
White pain exploded through me.
I screamed.
He smiled.
Then my mother slammed a metal lamp across his head.
Mason stumbled.
I hit him once.
Twice.
He fell.
Police swarmed him.
“Hands!”
He tried to reach for the gun.
An officer kicked it away.
“Don’t move!”
The fire spread.
Someone cut Mom’s restraints.
We ran outside.
Behind us, flames climbed through the windows.
Paramedics grabbed me.
“I’m fine.”
“You’ve been shot.”
“It grazed me.”
“You’re bleeding.”
I pushed past them.
“Noah!”
My son came running.
“Daddy!”
He crashed into me.
I cried out from the pain, then laughed.
“Easy, buddy.”
He hugged my waist.
“Did you get Grandma?”
Mom came behind me.
Noah burst into tears.
“Grandma!”
She dropped to her knees and held him.
For one brief second, I thought it was over.
Then Ramirez walked toward us.
His face wasn’t relieved.
“What?”
He held up his phone.
“Mason wasn’t working alone.”
My stomach tightened.
“What do you mean?”
“We found messages.”
“From who?”
He looked toward the ambulance.
Toward Vanessa.
May you like
And said,
“Your mother.”
