Chapter 8 - Ghosts of the Past
The morning sun broke through the storm clouds over Chicago,
casting long gold beams across the manicured lawns of my estate.
I sat in the armchair beside Lucas's bed,
watching his peaceful face as he slept.
His hand rested outside the coverlet,
clutching a small,
tattered cloth doll that Elena had found in the attic.
Slowly,
his eyes fluttered open.
He looked around the room,
taking in the high ceilings,
the warm light,
and the tall windows,
before his eyes settled on me.
"Dad,"
he whispered,
sitting up slowly.
"You're still here."
"I will always be here,
Lucas,"
I said,
moving my chair closer,
taking his small hand into mine.
"You never have to worry about waking up alone again."
He reached under his pillow,
pulling out a small silver object attached to a leather cord.
It was a heart-shaped locket,
scratched and dented from months of harsh handling.
"Mom gave me this,"
Lucas said softly,
staring down at the silver trinket.
"She told me to keep it safe.
She said if I ever saw you again,
I had to give it to you."
My heart hammered against my chest as I took the locket from his fingers.
I used my thumb to pop open the small side latch.
Inside was not a photograph,
but a custom-designed micro SD memory card,
sealed in waterproof plastic casing.
"Where did she get this,
Lucas?"
I asked gently,
holding the tiny piece of metal.
"She took it from a black safe in a house near the lake,"
Lucas explained,
his young voice trembling slightly.
"She told me that the lady on TV...
the lady with the stern face...
wanted to destroy it.
Mom said this picture card had the truth about everything."
"Did the lady catch Mom?"
I asked,
bracing myself for the answer.
Lucas shook his head,
tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.
"No.
The bad men came into the house at night.
Mom hid me in the floor space under the closet.
She told me to stay quiet,
no matter what I heard.
Then she ran out the back door to draw them away from me."
"And you didn't see her after that?"
"I saw her run into a silver boat at the pier,"
Lucas whispered.
"She got away on the water,
Dad!
I saw the boat drive fast into the fog!
She didn't die in the house!"
A sudden bolt of hope shot through my chest.
Sarah was alive.
She had escaped across Lake Michigan,
leaving Vance's men behind,
using herself as a decoy so Lucas could stay hidden until Emily helped him reach my perimeter.
"You did so well,
my boy,"
I said,
kissing Lucas on his forehead,
holding him tight.
"You were braver than any soldier."
I stood up,
placing the locket into my pocket.
"Rest now,
son.
I have work to do."
I walked out of the bedroom and headed straight down to the basement tech lab,
where Julian was waiting with the encrypted server terminal.
"Plug this in,
Julian,"
I said,
May you like
tossing the micro SD card onto his desk.
"Let's see what Sarah sacrificed everything to protect."
