Chapter 14 - The Hidden Ledger
The hatch flew open with a bang,
the cold air of the cabin rushing into our cramped hiding place.
Julian stood there,
framed by the firelight,
a silver pistol held casually at his side.
His face was clean-shaven,
his suit expensive,
looking entirely out of place in the rustic setting.
"Well,
well,"
he said,
looking down at us.
"The whole happy family."
"And there she is."
"The little thief’s greatest treasure."
I stood up,
holding Maya against my chest like a shield,
even though I knew she couldn't protect me.
The boys huddled behind me,
their small hands clutching at my clothes.
"Don't touch them,"
I said,
my voice surprisingly steady.
"If you want the drive,
I know where it is."
"Mark doesn't have it."
Julian paused,
his eyes flickering with interest.
"Is that so?"
"The wife has the brains."
"I should have guessed."
"James is a bit of a blunt instrument,
isn't he?"
I could see James lying on the floor a few feet away,
his face covered in blood,
his eyes closed.
I didn't know if he was breathing.
Mark was nowhere to be seen.
"It’s in the car,"
I lied,
trying to buy time.
"The SUV."
"In the spare tire compartment."
"Mark put a decoy on the table."
Julian leaned against the doorframe,
watching me closely.
"You're a good liar,
Sarah."
"Almost as good as Elena."
"But I’ve already searched the car."
"My men are very thorough."
He stepped down into the cellar,
the space feeling even smaller with his presence.
"The drive is interesting,
don't get me wrong,"
he said,
reaching out a hand toward Maya.
"But I didn't come here for the list."
"I came for the girl."
"Why?"
I asked,
pulling back.
"If you don't care about being her father,
why do you want her?"
Julian’s smile widened,
but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Because she is the only person who can unlock the real prize."
"Elena didn't just have a ledger."
"She had a key."
"A digital key tied to her biometric data."
"And since she’s gone,
the only thing that can bypass the lock is her direct offspring."
"That baby is the thumbprint to a hundred million dollars of offshore accounts."
"Accounts that belong to my 'associates.'"
"They want their money back,
Sarah."
"And I'm the only one who can get it for them."
I looked at Maya’s tiny hands,
her soft,
unblemished skin.
To this man,
she wasn't a human being.
She was a biological tool.
A key to be used and then discarded.
"You're never going to have her,"
I said.
"I'll die first."
"That’s usually how these things go,"
Julian sighed,
raising the pistol.
Suddenly,
a shadow moved behind him.
Mark appeared out of the darkness of the cabin,
his face a mask of rage.
He didn't fire his gun.
Instead,
he tackled Julian from behind,
sending both of them crashing into the stone walls of the cellar.
The boys screamed,
and I shoved them toward the ladder.
"Go!
Go now!"
I yelled.
Leo scrambled up first,
pulling Sam and Toby after him.
I followed,
clutching Maya to my chest,
my heart pounding against my ribs.
We scrambled out of the cellar and into the cabin,
which was in shambles.
Tables were overturned,
lamps were smashed,
and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.
I ran to James,
dropping to my knees.
"James!
Wake up!"
He groaned,
his eyes fluttering open.
"Sarah..."
he wheezed.
"Get the kids...
out."
"I'm not leaving you,"
I said,
grabbing his arm and trying to haul him up.
Behind us,
the sounds of the struggle in the cellar were terrifying.
The grunts of pain,
the sound of flesh hitting stone.
I looked back and saw Julian’s hand reach up and grab the edge of the hatch.
He was coming back up.
I looked around for a weapon,
anything to stop him.
My eyes landed on the heavy cast-iron kettle sitting on the edge of the hearth.
I grabbed it,
the heat of the handle searing my palm,
and stood over the hatch.
May you like
The moment Julian’s head appeared,
I swung.
