Chapter 33: The Marsh House
Chapter 33: The Marsh House
Thomas Hale was waiting for them inside a weathered wooden house built on stilts over the salt marshes of South Carolina. The interior was filled with scanning equipment and maps of the Eastern seaboard.
"Reyes is tracking the suits you left in the bakery," Thomas said as Arthur and Sarah walked in. "They belong to Aegis Global—a private military contractor recently acquired by a shadow LLC out of Delaware. The paper trail stops at a shell company called The Phoenix Group."
"Sterling," Arthur muttered, placing his weapon on the table.
Mrs. Hargrove walked out of the kitchen, holding a fresh bottle of milk for Hope. She looked older, the stress of the past three months taking a visible toll on her frail frame.
"Sarah," Penelope said gently, taking the baby so Sarah could rest. "There is something you need to see. Something James hid in the third drawer of the lockbox."
She handed Sarah an old, faded cassette tape.
Thomas plugged it into an old tape player on the desk. The machine hissed with static, then a voice filled the room. It wasn't James’s voice. It was deeper, raspy, and carried the unmistakable cadence of a man used to commanding empires.
"James," the voice on the tape said. "The girl is growing up. She looks like her mother. But remember our arrangement. If she ever discovers the truth about what happened at the logistics port in '99, the deal is off. I will dismantle your family brick by brick. Keep her stupid. Keep her safe. But above all, keep her away from Arthur Hale."
The tape ended with a sharp click.
May you like
Sarah stared at the machine. She looked at Arthur, whose face had gone completely pale.
"The logistics port in '99," Sarah whispered, her eyes narrowing as she stepped away from him. "Arthur... what happened in 1999?"
