Chapter 9: The Dead Man at the Door
I couldn't breathe.
The man standing beside Victor looked older than the photographs I remembered.
His hair was gray. His face was thinner. A deep scar ran from his temple toward his jaw.
But I knew those eyes.
I had seen them in the mirror every morning for forty years.
"Dad?""
The word escaped my mouth before I could stop it.
The man took one step forward.
"Andre.""
I stumbled backward.
"No.""
He lifted his hand.
"Son, listen to me.""
I shook my head.
"You died.""
"I know what you were told.""
"You were buried!""
His expression tightened.
"I couldn't come back.""
I felt anger rising through my chest.
"Couldn't? Or wouldn't?""
Victor stepped forward.
"Family reunions are beautiful, aren't they?""
I turned toward him.
"Shut your mouth.""
Victor smiled.
"Your father has been waiting twenty years to see you.""
My father looked at Victor.
"Leave him alone.""
Victor laughed.
"You don't get to give orders anymore, Raymond.""
Raymond.
My father's name.
Hearing it spoken aloud made the room feel unreal.
Darius moved between us.
"Andre, don't believe anything Victor says.""
Victor pulled out a gun.
"Step away from the table.""
Darius didn't move.
I noticed Denise clutching Jordan against her chest.
"Take the baby," I whispered.
She shook her head.
"I'm not leaving him.""
Victor pointed the gun toward Darius.
"Move.""
Darius slowly raised his hands.
My father stepped forward.
"Victor, this has gone far enough.""
Victor turned toward him.
"You're the reason we're here.""
"You're the reason my sons grew up without me.""
Victor's face darkened.
"Your sons grew up because I allowed them to.""
I stared at my father.
"What happened that night?""
He looked at me.
"Samuel was supposed to help me expose Victor. But Samuel betrayed us. Marcus King arranged the meeting, and Victor brought the gun.""
"Who shot you?""
My father glanced at Victor.
"Victor shot me. Samuel helped him.""
Victor laughed.
"That's not how it happened.""
My father continued.
"I was bleeding when they left. Marcus wanted to finish the job, but somebody stopped him.""
"Who?""
My father looked toward Darius.
"His mother.""
Darius lowered his head.
I turned toward him.
"Your mother?""
He nodded.
"She found your father after the shooting. She got him out before the police arrived.""
I stared at my father.
"Why didn't you come back?""
"Because Victor threatened to kill you boys if I did.""
"So you let us bury an empty coffin?""
My father looked away.
"I thought keeping you alive was enough.""
I stepped toward him.
"You missed everything. My wedding. Malik's wedding.
His son's birth. My brother's funeral.""
His eyes filled with tears.
"I know.""
"Then why are you standing beside the man who killed him?""
My father looked at Victor.
"I'm not.""
Victor's smile disappeared.
I suddenly noticed the way my father was holding his left hand.
There was a small device between his fingers.
A recording device.
My father saw me notice it.
"Victor, you promised you'd leave the children alone.""
Victor raised the gun.
"I promised you a lot of things.""
Darius lunged.
The gun fired.
The bullet struck the metal table.
Denise screamed and dropped behind a stack of boxes with Jordan.
I charged toward Victor.
He swung the gun toward me, but my father tackled him from the side.
Both men crashed against a wooden pallet.
Darius grabbed the weapon and kicked it away.
Victor scrambled toward the exit.
I caught his jacket.
He turned and struck me across the face.
I stumbled.
Then my father grabbed Victor by the throat and slammed him against the warehouse wall.
"YOU TOOK MY SONS FROM ME!""
Victor struggled.
"You're the one who disappeared!""
My father struck him once.
Then again.
Darius pulled him away.
"Raymond! Stop!""
Victor fell to the floor.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then my father looked at me.
"Andre, we need to leave. There are people coming.""
I pointed toward the baby.
"Where is Malik?""
My father went still.
Darius looked at him.
"Tell him.""
Raymond lowered his head.
"Malik was taken to a private medical facility after the attack. I saw him there.""
"When?""
"Three weeks ago.""
I stared at him.
"Three weeks ago?""
He nodded.
"He's alive.""
I felt my knees weaken.
"Where?""
My father reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded hospital document.
"He's being held under another name.""
I grabbed the paper.
The patient name was unfamiliar.
But the date of admission matched the night Malik supposedly died.
Then I saw the signature at the bottom.
Dr. Evelyn Shaw.
Victor's wife.
I looked at Victor, who was now sitting against the wall.
"Your wife helped fake my brother's death?""
Victor smiled through the blood on his lip.
"You're finally asking the right questions.""
My father stepped closer.
"Don't listen to him.""
Victor looked directly at me.
"Ask Raymond why Malik was willing to disappear.""
I turned toward my father.
"What is he talking about?""
My father said nothing.
Victor laughed.
"Your brother wasn't hiding from me, Andre.""
He leaned forward.
"He was hiding from you.""
I shook my head.
"Why?""
Victor's smile widened.
"Because Malik discovered that the man who ordered your mother's murder wasn't me.""
The warehouse fell silent.
I looked at my father.
He couldn't meet my eyes.
Victor continued.
"It was Raymond.""
I stepped away from him.
"No.""
My father finally spoke.
"Andre, there's something you need to understand.""
I raised my hand.
"Don't.""
He swallowed.
"Your mother wasn't supposed to die.""
"Then who ordered it?""
My father closed his eyes.
"I did.""
I felt the world disappear beneath my feet.
Before I could move, my phone rang.
An unknown number.
I answered without speaking.
A familiar voice came through.
Weak.
Breathless.
But unmistakable.
"Andre?""
I stopped breathing.
"Malik?""
My brother whispered:
"Don't let Dad leave that warehouse.""
Then the line went dead.
May you like
My father slowly turned toward the exit.
And for the first time in twenty years, I realized I might be standing in a room with two men who had both killed members of my family.
