Chapter 6 - THE MAN WHO CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD
The entire estate went silent.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Everyone stared at the security panel.
Daniel Cross.
A dead man.
A ghost from the past.
Trying to access the Beaumont estate.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Daniel?”
No answer.
Only static.
Then a message appeared.
ON SCREEN:
MARCUS.
DON’T TRUST ANYONE IN THAT ROOM.
Claire grabbed her father’s arm.
“Dad…”
Marcus stared at the message.
His old friend was alive.
And warning him.
But why?
Why hide for six years?
Why allow everyone to believe he was dead?
Preston suddenly shouted.
“This is fake.”
Everyone looked at him.
He pointed at the screen.
“Someone is manipulating the system.”
Marcus looked at him.
“Someone?”
Preston stopped.
A mistake.
A small one.
But Marcus caught it.
“You know how this system works.”
Preston said nothing.
Marcus continued.
“You knew about the emergency network.”
“You knew about Black Code.”
“You knew exactly what would happen when I activated it.”
Preston’s face changed.
Marcus looked at Sheriff Pike.
“And you knew too.”
Neither man answered.
Claire looked terrified.
“How deep does this go?”
Marcus didn’t know how to answer.
Because the truth was becoming bigger every minute.
The security panel suddenly displayed another message.
VIDEO FILE AVAILABLE.
Marcus opened it.
The screen showed a dark room.
A man sitting in a chair.
Older.
Tired.
But alive.
Daniel Cross.
Claire covered her mouth.
Marcus couldn’t move.
Daniel looked directly into the camera.
“Marcus.”
His voice was weak.
“But if you’re seeing this…”
A pause.
“Then Claire found the truth.”
Marcus stepped closer.
Daniel continued.
“I know you’re angry.”
“I know you think I betrayed you.”
“But I had no choice.”
The video showed Daniel placing documents on a table.
“The Beaumonts were not just stealing money.”
“They were buying protection.”
“Judges.”
“Police officers.”
“Politicians.”
Marcus looked at Sheriff Pike.
Pike looked away.
Daniel continued.
“And the person controlling everything…”
The video paused.
Everyone waited.
Then Daniel said:
“Is someone you trust.”
The screen went black.
Nobody breathed.
Marcus looked around the room.
At every face.
Every person.
Every possible enemy.
Then his eyes stopped.
On one person.
Vivienne Beaumont.
Because she wasn’t shocked.
She wasn’t confused.
She looked angry.
Like someone whose secret had finally been exposed.
Marcus understood.
The Beaumont empire was not built on money.
It was built on fear.
And now fear was changing sides.
Vivienne slowly smiled.
“You really think you won?”
Marcus stared at her.
“No.”
A pause.
“I think you’re finally scared.”
Vivienne stepped closer.
“You have no idea what happens when you destroy powerful people.”
Marcus looked at Claire.
Then back at her.
“I know exactly what happens.”
The doors remained locked.
The cameras remained recording.
And somewhere outside the estate…
a man who had been dead for six years was coming back.
Because Daniel Cross was ready to tell the world why he disappeared.
May you like
And who ordered him to disappear.
:::
