Chapter 5: Bay Seventeen
At 5:42 the following morning, Wade's pickup truck rolled into the abandoned Riverside Storage complex.
The sky was still dark.
Rain tapped against the windshield, and the old industrial buildings stood like black shapes along the river.
Martha sat in the passenger seat.
She wore her husband's old leather jacket over a thick sweater. The sleeves were slightly too long, but she had refused to leave it behind.
In the back seat, Emily checked her phone for the third time.
"Are you sure this is the place?""
Wade nodded.
"Bay Seventeen.""
Duke and another biker named Leonard were following in a separate truck.
Emily looked at her mother.
"One more time. If anything feels wrong, we leave.""
Martha gave her a tired smile.
"Emily, I've been living with something wrong for thirty years.""
They parked outside the storage building.
Bay Seventeen was at the far end of a row of metal doors.
A single light flickered above it.
Wade stepped out first.
He noticed something immediately.
The door was already open.
He reached beneath his jacket and pulled out a flashlight.
"Stay behind me.""
Martha ignored the instruction and followed.
Inside, the storage unit contained an old wooden table, two folding chairs, and a motorcycle engine covered by a gray tarp.
A man stood beside the table.
He was tall and thin, with dark hair and a short beard.
He looked older than the boy Wade remembered.
But his eyes were unmistakable.
Wade stopped breathing.
"Daniel.""
The man slowly turned.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Daniel smiled.
"Hello, Dad.""
Wade crossed the room in three strides.
He grabbed his son and pulled him into a fierce embrace.
Daniel stood stiffly at first.
Then his arms wrapped around Wade's back.
Wade began to cry.
Not quietly.
Not gracefully.
He cried like a man who had spent thirty years trying to convince himself that an empty grave was enough.
"You're alive," he whispered.
Daniel nodded against his shoulder.
"I'm alive.""
Wade pulled back and examined his face.
"You're older.""
Daniel laughed through his tears.
"So are you.""
Wade touched the scar near his son's eyebrow.
"I thought I lost you.""
Daniel looked down.
"I know.""
Martha approached slowly.
"Daniel?""
He turned.
"Mrs. Bell.""
She looked at him with disbelief.
"Frank said he was helping a young man. He never told me who.""
Daniel nodded.
"He was trying to protect you.""
Martha's eyes filled.
"Did he make it?""
Daniel looked away.
"I wish I could give you a different answer.""
Wade's expression changed.
"What happened to Frank?""
Daniel pulled out a chair.
"Sit down. Both of you.""
Nobody moved.
Daniel sighed.
"Okay. I'll start from the beginning.""
He explained that in 1996, Frank had discovered Richard was using the family's motorcycle dealership to move stolen vehicles through a network of dishonest auction houses.
But the operation went further.
Richard had been selling customer information to criminal groups. Names, addresses, financial records, vehicle identification numbers.
Frank found the records and copied them.
He intended to take everything to federal investigators.
Unfortunately, Detective Collins was already working for Richard.
"How did you get involved?"" Wade asked.
Daniel looked at his father.
"I was delivering a motorcycle part to Frank's workshop. I heard Richard arguing with him.""
"What did you hear?""
"Richard said the business was too big to let one person destroy it. Frank told him he was going to the authorities.""
Martha gripped the edge of the table.
"And then?""
Daniel looked at her.
"Richard told Frank he had already arranged everything.""
The room became quiet.
Daniel continued.
"That night, I followed Frank because I thought he needed help. I didn't realize Collins was watching him.""
Wade frowned.
"You were seventeen.""
"I know.""
"Why didn't you call me?""
"Because Collins had already told Richard about us. He knew I was your son. He knew you and Frank were close.""
Daniel paused.
"Richard wanted leverage.""
Wade's jaw tightened.
"So he took you?""
Daniel nodded.
"They grabbed me outside the warehouse. Frank showed up before they could move me.""
Martha covered her mouth.
"Was he hurt?""
"Not then.""
Daniel stared at the concrete floor.
"Frank made a deal. He told Collins he would hand over the original records if they let me go.""
Wade leaned forward.
"And did they?""
"Yes. They drove me to a farmhouse outside the city. Frank told me to stay there until he came back.""
Daniel swallowed.
"He never came.""
Martha's voice trembled.
"Did you wait?""
"For three days.""
"And then?""
"Someone left a note under the door. It said Frank had been killed and that if I returned home, Dad would be next.""
Wade stood abruptly.
"Who left the note?""
"Collins.""
"Why didn't you come to me?""
Daniel looked at him with pain.
"Because I believed him.""
Wade turned away.
For a moment, the old biker looked smaller than Martha had ever seen him.
Daniel continued.
"Collins arranged a fake accident. A motorcycle was found in a ravine with a body inside. They used my ring to identify it.""
Wade stared at his son.
"You knew?""
"I found out years later.""
"Years later?""
Daniel nodded.
"I spent the first five years moving between safe houses. Eventually, Frank's contact helped me disappear under another name.""
Martha leaned closer.
"Who was the contact?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Someone who worked for the county records office. He helped us hide the evidence.""
Wade frowned.
"Us?""
Daniel looked up.
"Frank wasn't alone.""
A sudden noise came from outside.
Everyone turned.
Duke appeared in the doorway.
"We've got company.""
Wade stepped toward the entrance.
"Who?""
"Two vehicles. Black SUVs.""
Daniel immediately grabbed a small metal case from beneath the table.
"That's them.""
Emily stood.
"Richard?""
Daniel shook his head.
"Probably Collins.""
Wade reached for his phone.
"Call the police.""
Daniel grabbed his arm.
"Don't.""
"Why?""
"Because Collins still has friends inside the department.""
Martha looked at the metal case.
"What's in there?""
Daniel opened it.
Inside were several photographs, a flash drive, and a small notebook.
"Frank's records.""
Wade examined the photographs.
One showed Richard shaking hands with Detective Collins.
Another showed Thomas Reed unloading motorcycles from a truck.
But the last photograph made Martha gasp.
It showed Frank standing outside a small white house.
He looked older.
His hair was gray at the temples.
But he was unmistakably alive.
The date printed on the photograph was 2011.
Martha clutched it.
"Eleven years after he disappeared.""
Daniel nodded.
"I found this in the evidence file three years ago.""
"Where is that house?""
"I don't know. The address was removed.""
Wade looked at his son.
"You said Frank wasn't alone.""
Daniel took a deep breath.
"He had someone protecting him. Someone who knew where he was hiding.""
"Who?""
Before Daniel could answer, the first SUV stopped outside.
A door slammed.
Then came the sound of heavy footsteps.
Duke turned toward the entrance.
"Everybody move.""
Daniel pushed the metal case into Wade's hands.
"Take this.""
Wade shook his head.
"I'm not leaving you again.""
Daniel's eyes softened.
"Then stay close.""
A voice came from outside.
"Daniel Mercer! We know you're in there!""
Wade recognized it immediately.
Detective Arthur Collins.
The man who had stood at his son's funeral.
The man who had told him to stop searching.
Collins stepped into the doorway, holding a pistol low beside his leg.
He looked directly at Wade.
"Well, well. The grieving father.""
Wade took one step forward.
"You stood beside my son's grave.""
Collins shrugged.
"People attend funerals for all kinds of reasons.""
Wade's fists clenched.
"Why?""
Collins smiled.
"Because sometimes a dead man is much more useful than a living one.""
May you like
Then he raised his weapon.
And aimed it at Martha.
