Chapter 9: The Voice From the Past
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The old recording device continued playing.
Daniel Carter’s voice filled the abandoned station.
“Clara, I don’t have much time.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
Sixteen years.
Sixteen years of wondering what his father sounded like.
Sixteen years of imagining a man who didn’t want him.
But the voice he heard now wasn’t careless.
It wasn’t distant.
It sounded afraid.
But determined.
“If anything happens to me, Marcus needs to know the truth.””
Marcus looked down.
His own name.
From his father’s mouth.
Mrs. Gallagher watched him carefully.
Richard Hale stepped forward.
“Turn it off.””
She didn’t move.
“Clara.””
“No.””
Her voice was different.
Stronger.
For the first time, Marcus saw the woman she might have been before fear changed her.
Daniel’s recording continued.
“Richard Hale is not working alone.””
Everyone froze.
Richard’s face changed.
Marcus looked at him.
The man who had walked into the station with confidence suddenly looked nervous.
Daniel continued.
“There are people inside Gallagher Industries who know what happened. They will try to bury this. They will try to make everyone believe I disappeared because I wanted to.””
Marcus felt tears forming.
His father had known.
He knew the lie would happen.
The recording continued.
“Marcus, if you ever hear this, I need you to understand one thing.””
The room became completely silent.
“I never left you.””
Marcus covered his mouth.
Ethan looked away, giving him privacy.
Daniel’s voice became softer.
“You were the reason I kept fighting.””
A tear fell before Marcus could stop it.
He quickly wiped it away.
Richard looked uncomfortable.
“This proves nothing.””
Mrs. Gallagher turned toward him.
“It proves everything.””
Richard shook his head.
“No. It proves Daniel was paranoid.””
Marcus looked at him.
“You knew where he was.””
Richard didn’t answer.
That silence said more than words.
Marcus stepped forward.
“What happened to him?””
Richard stared at him.
For a moment, Marcus thought he might finally tell the truth.
Instead, Richard said:
“Your father made choices.””
Mrs. Gallagher’s face hardened.
“You’re still lying.””
Richard looked at her.
“You don’t want him to know what you did.””
Marcus turned.
“What did she do?””
Mrs. Gallagher looked devastated.
Before she could answer, Richard smiled.
“Tell him.””
Nobody spoke.
Richard continued.
“Tell Marcus how you gave me his father’s location.””
Marcus felt like the ground disappeared.
He looked at Mrs. Gallagher.
“No.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I didn’t know what he planned.””
“But you gave it to him?””
She nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
The confession hurt more than he expected.
Marcus stepped back.
“Why?””
Mrs. Gallagher looked at him.
“Because I thought I was saving your father.””
The station became silent.
She continued.
“Richard told me Daniel was going to disappear anyway. He told me if I helped him find Daniel, he could convince him to stop.””
Marcus stared.
“And?””
Her voice broke.
“I was wrong.””
Richard suddenly turned toward the exit.
Mrs. Gallagher noticed.
“Where are you going?””
Richard ignored her.
Marcus stepped in front of him.
“You don’t get to leave.””
Richard looked at him.
“You think you know everything now?””
Marcus held the notebook tighter.
“No.””
He looked at the recording device.
“But I know enough.””
Richard smiled.
A cold, confident smile.
“You really are Daniel’s son.””
Then he reached into his coat and pulled out a small envelope.
He placed it on the table.
Marcus looked at it.
“What is that?””
Richard walked away.
Before leaving, he said:
“The answer to why your father never came home.””
Marcus picked up the envelope.
His name was written on it.
But beneath his name was another sentence.
May you like
A sentence that made his blood run cold.
*“Open this only after you learn what your mother did.””*
