Chapter 7: The Truth Buried With His Father
Smoke filled the clubhouse.
The explosion wasn't large enough to destroy the building.
It was a warning.
Someone wanted us afraid.
Someone wanted us to know they could reach us anytime.
But they made one mistake.
They forgot who they were dealing with.
Thirty-two bikers don't run from danger.
We ride toward it.
Tom shouted orders.
"Get Emma away from the windows!""
Everyone moved.
Wizard grabbed his daughter and carried her behind the reinforced office wall.
I ran toward the garage.
The door was hanging sideways.
Outside, the parking lot was empty.
No attacker.
No vehicle.
Nothing.
Only a single envelope sitting on the pavement.
Tom joined me.
"Trap?""
"Probably.""
He looked at the envelope.
"Then let's find out why they wanted us to see it.""
Inside was a newspaper clipping.
Old.
Yellowed.
The headline read:
LOCAL BUSINESSMAN DISAPPEARS AFTER FRAUD INVESTIGATION.
Below the headline was a picture.
Wizard's father.
Everyone knew his name now.
Daniel Cross.
But there was something else.
A handwritten message across the article.
"Daniel wasn't killed. He was betrayed.""
Wizard appeared behind us.
The moment he saw the article, his expression collapsed.
"I spent twenty years looking for this.""
Tom looked at him.
"You knew he might be alive?""
Wizard nodded.
"My father discovered a company was laundering money through charities and government contracts.""
Victor stepped closer.
"The same company connected to me.""
Nobody trusted Victor.
But everyone listened.
Wizard continued.
"My father tried to expose them.""
"And they made him disappear," Tom said.
Wizard nodded.
"I thought I had lost him forever.""
Emma looked up.
"Is Grandpa alive?""
Nobody answered.
Because nobody knew.
Then Victor spoke.
"He is.""
Everyone turned.
Tom's eyes narrowed.
"How do you know?""
Victor looked exhausted.
"Because I saw him three months ago.""
The room exploded with questions.
"You saw him?""
"Where?""
"Why didn't you tell anyone?""
Victor raised his voice.
"Because I was trying to keep him alive!""
Silence.
Wizard stared at him.
"You knew my father was alive?""
Victor nodded.
"And he knew you were alive too.""
That was the moment Wizard broke.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
All the anger.
All the pain.
All the years of believing he was alone.
"You could have told me.""
Victor looked away.
"He made me promise.""
"Why?""
Victor hesitated.
Then said:
"Because the person hunting your family is someone who has access to everything.""
Tom frowned.
"Meaning?""
Victor looked around.
"Police.""
Nobody spoke.
"The courts.""
Silence.
"The media.""
His eyes moved across the room.
"Even your motorcycle club.""
That last sentence changed everything.
Tom stepped forward.
"What are you saying?""
Victor swallowed.
"I'm saying the person behind this has been watching all of you for years.""
The clubhouse suddenly felt smaller.
Wizard picked up the newspaper clipping.
"Where is my father now?""
Victor looked toward the door.
"He contacted me yesterday.""
"Where?""
Victor hesitated.
Then answered.
"At the place where he disappeared.""
Nobody liked the sound of that.
Tom grabbed his jacket.
"Then we're going.""
Wizard shook his head.
"No.""
Tom looked at him.
"No?""
Wizard's voice was quiet.
"Because that's what they want.""
He held up the newspaper.
"This is a message.""
A realization crossed his face.
"They aren't hiding anymore.""
I looked at the article.
At the handwritten words.
Daniel wasn't killed.
He was betrayed.
Then I noticed something.
A small mark in the corner.
A symbol.
The same symbol from the silver ring.
I pointed.
"Wizard.""
He looked.
His face changed.
"What?""
I touched the mark.
"This was added recently.""
Everyone stared.
Because underneath the symbol were coordinates.
Tom grabbed a map.
He entered them.
The location appeared.
An abandoned mine outside the city.
Then Emma spoke.
"I know that place.""
Everyone looked at her.
May you like
She hugged herself.
"That's where Mommy was taken.""
