Chapter 6: The Gun Behind Her
The cold metal of the gun pressed against Emily’s neck.
For one frozen second, she couldn't breathe.
Her father moved instantly.
“Don't.””
The single word came out low and deadly.
Behind Emily, someone laughed.
“Easy, Ghost.””
Emily recognized the voice.
Not Victor.
Bishop.
Her father's hand tightened around his weapon.
“Take the gun away from my daughter.””
Bishop stepped closer.
“I can't do that.””
Emily swallowed.
“So it really was you.””
Bishop's silence answered.
Daniel looked over his shoulder.
“Emily, don't move.””
She stared at the darkness ahead.
Victor stood several feet away, his face calm.
Bishop had the gun.
And somewhere behind them, more footsteps echoed through the storage corridor.
They were surrounded.
Victor smiled.
“Look at this.””
He spread his hands.
“Twenty years of secrets, and it all comes back to one little girl wearing an old jacket.””
Emily forced herself to speak.
“You let everyone believe my dad was dead.””
Victor tilted his head.
“That part wasn't my choice.””
“My father said you hunted him.””
“I did.””
“Why?””
“Because he stole something from me.””
Daniel snapped, “I stole nothing.””
Victor looked at him.
“You took the ledger.””
“I took evidence.””
“You took my property.””
Emily felt the gun behind her shift.
Bishop whispered, “Don't make this harder.””
She turned her head slightly.
“Why are you helping him?””
Bishop said nothing.
Emily's voice broke.
“You knew my father was alive.””
“Yes.””
“You knew where he was.””
“Yes.””
“And you let me think he was dead.””
“I was trying to keep you alive.””
She laughed bitterly.
“You call this alive?””
Daniel looked at Bishop.
“She doesn't need your excuses.””
Bishop's voice hardened.
“You're the last person who gets to lecture me about protecting her.””
Victor chuckled.
“Still arguing like brothers.””
Daniel stared at him.
“We were never brothers.””
Victor's face changed.
“No.””
He stepped closer.
“You were better.””
Emily looked at him.
“Better at what?””
Victor's eyes stayed on Daniel.
“Being loved.””
Silence.
For the first time, Emily saw something other than anger in Victor's face.
Jealousy.
Resentment.
Maybe even grief.
Victor continued.
“People followed him without being asked. They trusted him. They listened when he spoke.””
Daniel said quietly, “That wasn't something I took from you.””
“You never had it to begin with.””
Victor's jaw tightened.
“You always thought you were the good one.””
Emily looked at her father.
“Were you?””
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
That hesitation mattered.
Finally, he said, “No.””
Emily stared.
“I made mistakes.””
“What kind?””
“The kind that put people in danger.””
“Like me?””
“Yes.””
He looked directly at her.
“And I regret every one.””
Bishop shifted behind Emily.
Victor walked toward them.
“Enough.””
He reached for the jacket.
“Give me the key.””
Emily tightened her grip.
“No.””
Victor smiled.
“You don't understand.””
“My father hid it from you.””
“Your father hid many things.””
Victor's gaze dropped to the patch.
“Especially that.””
He pointed to the First Nine.
“That patch was never supposed to survive.””
Emily touched it.
“Why?””
Victor's voice lowered.
“Because the First Nine weren't founders in the way you've been told.””
Daniel warned, “Victor.””
But Emily looked at him.
“What does he mean?””
Victor smiled.
“Ask your father.””
She turned.
“Dad?””
Daniel looked away.
That was the moment Emily understood.
There was still another secret.
One that frightened even him.
“You told me the club was about brotherhood.””
“It was.””
“Then why is everyone lying?””
Daniel looked at her with exhausted eyes.
“Because the truth is uglier.””
Victor stepped closer.
“Tell her.””
Daniel didn't move.
Victor's expression hardened.
“Tell her who the Ninth man really was.””
Bishop suddenly said, “Stop.””
Victor looked at him.
“You're worried?””
“Yes.””
“Good.””
Emily looked from one man to another.
“Who was the ninth?””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Michael.””
Emily glanced toward the man standing near the wall.
The older biker looked down.
“Michael was your uncle.””
Emily froze.
“I don't have an uncle.””
“You did.””
Daniel's voice was quiet.
“He was my brother.””
Michael finally looked at her.
Daniel continued.
“He died before you were born.””
Emily shook her head.
“But Michael is right there.””
Victor laughed.
“Not that Michael.””
He pointed at the older man.
“That's his son.””
Emily stared.
The pieces rearranged themselves.
The old man stepped forward.
“My name is Michael Rodriguez.””
Daniel looked at him.
“He was named after my brother.””
Emily whispered, “Then who was the Ninth?””
Victor answered.
“Your father's real brother.””
Emily's heart beat harder.
“What happened to him?””
Daniel looked at Victor.
“Victor happened.””
Victor smiled.
“Not quite.””
He nodded toward Bishop.
“Ask him.””
Emily turned.
“What happened to my father's brother?””
Bishop stared at the floor.
“He disappeared.””
“That's all?””
“No.””
He sighed.
“He found out what Victor was planning before anyone else.””
Daniel interrupted.
“He tried to stop him.””
Bishop continued.
“Victor offered him a deal.””
Victor laughed.
“Your uncle refused.””
Emily's voice trembled.
“So Victor killed him?””
“No.””
Daniel looked at her.
“I did.””
Everything stopped.
Emily stared.
“What?””
Daniel lowered his weapon.
“I didn't kill him.””
He looked broken.
“But I was supposed to.””
Victor stepped forward.
“Your father was given an order.””
“By whom?””
Daniel said nothing.
Victor's smile returned.
“By the same people funding everything.””
Emily's mind raced.
“Who?””
Victor looked toward Bishop.
“The people who wanted the land.””
Bishop suddenly moved.
He shoved Emily forward.
Daniel caught her.
The gunshot exploded.
Bishop stumbled backward.
Victor had fired.
Bishop fell against the metal wall.
Razor's voice erupted from the other side of the corridor.
“DOWN!””
Gunfire erupted.
Men scattered.
Emily dropped to the floor.
Daniel grabbed her and pulled her behind a storage unit.
“Are you hurt?””
She shook her head.
“Dad—”
“Stay here.””
“No!””
He looked at her.
“I've been hiding for two years.””
His eyes burned.
“I won't lose you now.””
Razor and Caruso fired from the opposite side.
Victor's men retreated.
Michael dragged Bishop behind cover.
Emily saw blood on Bishop's vest.
“Is he alive?””
Michael nodded.
“Barely.””
Victor disappeared through a side passage.
Daniel started after him.
Emily grabbed his arm.
“Don't.””
He looked back.
“He'll kill you.””
“He already tried.””
Daniel pulled free.
“He'll come for you next.””
Emily stood.
“Then don't leave me behind.””
Daniel stared at her.
For a moment, the years between them seemed to vanish.
She was no longer the homeless girl in an oversized jacket.
He was no longer a dead man.
They were simply father and daughter.
Daniel nodded.
“Stay close.””
They ran.
The passage opened into an old loading area.
Victor was nowhere.
A motorcycle engine roared outside.
Daniel stopped.
“He's escaping.””
Razor came up behind them.
“Let him.””
“No.””
Daniel pointed toward the loading dock.
“He has the only copy of the second ledger.””
Razor looked at him.
“What?””
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“The book we found isn't complete.””
Emily frowned.
“What are you talking about?””
Daniel looked at the jacket.
“The evidence in the storage unit only proves the money trail.””
“So?””
“The second ledger names the people who ordered the attacks.””
Emily felt sick.
“The people who had houses burned.””
“Yes.””
“And Victor has it?””
“No.””
Daniel looked toward the darkness.
“He thinks he does.””
Emily understood.
“Because you moved it.””
Daniel nodded.
“Where?””
He looked at her.
“With you.””
Emily's hand went instinctively to the jacket.
“The jacket?””
Daniel smiled sadly.
“Not the pocket.””
“Then where?””
He pointed to the patch.
“The First Nine.””
Emily touched the worn stitching.
“What about it?””
“There's another compartment.””
Caruso rushed over.
“Ghost, we don't have time.””
Daniel pulled a small knife from his boot.
He carefully cut along the bottom edge of the patch.
The stitching loosened.
A thin metal card slid out.
Emily stared.
“What is that?””
“Coordinates.””
“For what?””
“The original safe.””
Razor looked at the numbers.
Then his expression changed.
“That's not a safe.””
Daniel nodded.
“No.””
He looked toward the night.
“It's a bunker.””
Emily swallowed.
“Who built it?””
“The Nine.””
“Why?””
“To survive a war.””
She stared at him.
“There was a war?””
Daniel nodded.
“Between the original club and the people who wanted to control it.””
“And it never ended?””
“No.””
He looked directly into her eyes.
“Not until tonight.””
A motorcycle engine roared in the distance.
Victor was getting away.
Daniel moved toward the exit.
Emily followed.
But before they reached the door, Bishop called from behind.
“Ghost.””
Daniel stopped.
Bishop was bleeding heavily.
“There's something you need to know.””
Daniel turned.
“What?””
Bishop coughed.
“Victor isn't the one you should be afraid of.””
Emily looked at him.
“Then who?””
Bishop's eyes fixed on her.
“The man who brought Victor the information.””
Razor frowned.
“We already know it was you.””
Bishop shook his head.
“No.””
His voice became weaker.
“I was taking orders too.””
“From who?””
Bishop looked at Emily.
Then at the jacket.
“From your mother.””
Emily stopped breathing.
“My mother?””
Bishop nodded.
“She knew Daniel was alive.””
Emily's world spun.
“You're lying.””
“I wish I were.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Bishop.””
But the older man looked at Emily.
“Your mother didn't disappear.””
Emily stared.
“She was hiding.””
“From Victor?””
“No.””
Bishop closed his eyes.
“From your father.””
Daniel went completely still.
Emily looked between them.
“Why?””
Bishop's answer came as a whisper.
“Because she was the one who gave Victor the first location.””
Outside, Victor's motorcycle disappeared into the darkness.
And Emily realized that finding her father had answered one question.
May you like
But it had opened the most terrifying one of all.
Why had her mother helped the man who wanted him dead?
