Chapter 5: The Brother Who Was Never Gone
The clubhouse door opened.
Nobody touched it.
Nobody unlocked it.
It simply opened.
And standing there was the man we had mourned.
The man whose funeral we attended.
The man whose name was carved into our memories.
Wizard.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Because the human brain has a hard time accepting impossible things.
Tom was the first.
He walked forward slowly.
Like he was afraid the man would disappear.
"You're dead.""
Wizard looked at him.
"I know.""
Tom's eyes filled with anger.
Then pain.
Then something between both.
"You let us bury you.""
Wizard looked down.
"I had no choice.""
Tom grabbed his jacket.
"No choice?""
His voice shook.
"We stood beside a coffin.""
"I know.""
"We cried over you.""
"I know.""
"Your brothers thought they lost you.""
Wizard closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry.""
Nobody expected the next thing.
Tom hugged him.
A huge, broken hug from a man who never showed emotion.
Then everyone moved.
One by one.
Because no matter how angry we were, Wizard was alive.
And that mattered.
But Emma wasn't watching us.
She was watching her father.
Wizard turned toward her.
The little girl ran.
He dropped to his knees.
"I'm sorry, butterfly.""
Emma hugged him.
"You promised you would come back.""
"I did.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
Wizard looked over her shoulder.
At all of us.
"Because if I told anyone the truth, they would use you to find me.""
Victor stepped forward.
"You brought them into this.""
Wizard stood.
"No.""
His voice became cold.
"They were already in it the moment they buried me.""
Tom looked between them.
"Start talking.""
Wizard nodded.
"I will.""
He walked to the table.
The room became silent.
"Victor Hale wasn't chasing Emma.""
Everyone looked at Victor.
Wizard continued.
"He was trying to keep her alive.""
That shocked everyone.
Victor looked exhausted.
"I tried to warn you.""
Tom ignored him.
"And the man outside?""
Wizard's face darkened.
"That's the real threat.""
He placed a small device on the table.
A recording started.
A voice filled the room.
A voice we recognized.
The stranger from the parking lot.
"The girl is the last witness.""
Everyone froze.
Wizard stopped the recording.
"Emma saw something six months ago.""
"What?""
Wizard looked at Emma.
Then at us.
"She saw the person who ordered my death.""
Nobody breathed.
Tom asked quietly:
"Who?""
Wizard didn't answer.
Instead, he pulled out another photograph.
He placed it on the table.
The picture showed a group of people.
Businessmen.
Officials.
And one person standing in the center.
A person none of us expected.
Because it was someone from our own past.
Someone who had attended Wizard's funeral.
Someone who had hugged us.
Someone who had cried with us.
Tom stared at the photograph.
His face went completely still.
"That's impossible.""
Wizard looked at him.
"I wish it was.""
The clubhouse lights suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Then a phone rang.
Everyone froze.
The ringing came from the table.
From Wizard's old phone.
The phone he was supposed to have lost when he died.
Wizard slowly picked it up.
He listened.
His expression changed.
"What?""
A pause.
Then he looked at Emma.
And every bit of color disappeared from his face.
"Everyone lock the doors.""
Tom stepped closer.
"Who was it?""
Wizard ended the call.
Then whispered:
"The person who killed me just called.""
May you like
He looked toward the window.
"And they're already inside.""
