“All right,” he said quietly. “I’ll tell you something. But not here. Come tonight. The old shed by the river. The place I used to meet Darden.”
Nathan narrowed his eyes.
“And why would I trust you now?”
“Because if you don’t show up tonight,” Victor said, “tomorrow might be too late. For you. And for her.”
The night air was like a knife as Nathan’s car made its way toward the rusted shed by the river. Aiden sat in the back, arms around Ranger, who kept low growling at the darkness beyond the window.
“Are you sure we should come?” Aiden whispered.
“I’m not sure about anything,” Nathan replied. “But if this is where it started, maybe this is where it ends.”
The shed was a sprawling, decaying structure, windows cracked or missing, fence half collapsed. A faint light flickered through the gaps.
They pushed the door open and stepped inside. Nathan’s flashlight swept across old crates, rusted tools, oil stains, and a filthy mattress shoved into a corner. On top of a box lay a scarf identical to Lauren’s, folded neatly.
“Lauren…” Nathan murmured, picking it up with shaking hands.
A metallic clank came from behind some stacked pallets. Nathan swung the beam toward the sound.
“Who’s there?”
A thin man stepped from the shadows: unshaven, clothes ragged, eyes darting nervously. Mike Darden.
He flinched when he recognized Nathan.
“Relax,” Mike muttered. “I don’t want trouble.”
“You’ve already got it,” Nathan said, moving closer. “Where is Lauren?”
Mike glanced around, spooked, as if he expected armed men to appear any second.
“She saved me,” he said in a low voice. “They cut her brakes. I was gonna warn you, but they got to me first. They were gonna kill me too. She told me to run. To disappear. She… got away however she could.”
Aiden stared, wide-eyed.
“And where is she now?” the boy blurted.
Mike hesitated.
“She was here until a couple days ago,” he said. “Said she was going to try to get help. But she left this for you.”
He fished a crumpled envelope from his pocket and handed it to Nathan, who tore it open.
Inside was another letter, written in Lauren’s shaky hand.
“Nathan, if you’re reading this, it means the danger isn’t over. I discovered what Victor and the international fund are doing with your company. Don’t trust anyone—especially not the ones who’ve sat at your table. If something happens to me, the proof is in the company records. That’s where the reason for everything is.”