Chapter 6: The Cabin in the Woods
The motorcycle disappeared into the darkness.
Nia watched the taillight until it became a red spark, then nothing.
She turned to Cole.
“You left my father there?””
Cole didn’t answer.
“Cole.””
His jaw tightened.
“I thought he was dead.””
“That isn’t what you said.””
“I know.””
“You said Black Pine was where he disappeared.””
“It was.””
“And you were the last person with him.””
Cole closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
The word was almost too quiet to hear.
Nia stepped closer.
“What happened?””
Cole looked at the photograph in her hand.
“Your father told me to leave.””
“Why?””
“Because he knew they were coming.””
“Who?””
Cole looked at her mother.
She was standing near the broken window, arms wrapped around herself.
“Calvin,” she whispered.
Nia stared at her.
“My grandfather.””
Cole nodded.
“Your father discovered that Calvin had survived the fire.””
“And instead of telling anyone?””
“He was trying to gather proof.””
“Proof of what?””
“Everything.””
Cole walked toward the back room.
“Come with me.””
Nia followed.
Her mother started after them.
Cole turned.
“You stay here.””
She stopped.
“I’m coming.””
“No.””
“You don’t understand what’s waiting at Black Pine.””
The woman’s voice hardened.
“I know exactly what’s there.””
Cole stared at her.
“Then you know why you shouldn’t go.””
Nia stepped between them.
“She’s coming.””
Cole looked at her.
“Nia—”
“My entire life, both of you have decided what I need to know.””
She held up the photograph.
“That ends tonight.””
Cole studied her face.
Then slowly nodded.
“Fine.””
Marcus grabbed his helmet.
“We take two bikes.””
Cole shook his head.
“No.””
Marcus frowned.
“Why?””
“Too visible.””
He looked at the others.
“You two stay here. Lock the doors. Call nobody unless I say so.””
Marcus started to protest.
Cole cut him off.
“If Calvin is watching, he’ll expect us to bring half the club.””
Marcus looked at Nia.
“And if he follows you?””
Cole's expression hardened.
“Then I’ll make sure he regrets it.””
Nia grabbed her coat.
Her mother reached for her arm.
“Nia.””
She turned.
The older woman looked terrified.
“There’s something you need to know before we go.””
“What?””
Her mother glanced at Cole.
“He wasn't the only one at the cabin.””
Nia frowned.
“Who else?””
Her mother swallowed.
“A little boy.””
Nia waited.
“My brother.””
Everything inside her seemed to stop.
“You had a son?””
“No.””
She shook her head.
“I had a brother.””
Nia’s heart raced.
“Then where is he?””
Her mother looked away.
“He disappeared too.””
Cole stared at her.
“You never told me that.””
“Because I thought he was dead.””
Nia felt a strange connection before she understood it.
“What was his name?””
The woman hesitated.
“Elias.””
Cole went completely still.
Nia noticed.
“What?””
Cole’s face had lost all color.
“Nobody mentioned Elias.””
Her mother stared at him.
“You knew him.””
“I knew of him.””
“Cole?””
He looked at Nia.
Then at her mother.
“He was the boy your father was trying to protect.””
Nia’s heart pounded.
“From Calvin?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Cole looked down.
“Because Calvin thought Elias was the reason you were born.””
Nia stared at him.
“That makes no sense.””
“It didn’t to us either.””
He put on his helmet.
“That’s why your father spent years trying to understand it.””
Nia took the passenger helmet Cole offered her.
“Then we find out tonight.””
The ride to Black Pine took nearly forty minutes.
The city lights disappeared gradually.
Street lamps gave way to dark roads.
The road narrowed.
Trees closed around them.
Nia sat behind Cole, gripping the sides of his jacket as the motorcycle climbed into the hills.
The air became colder.
She could smell wet earth.
Pine.
Smoke.
At one point, she thought she heard a child laughing.
She turned.
Nothing.
Only trees.
Then Cole slowed.
A faded wooden sign appeared ahead.
*BLACK PINE — 2 MILES*
Nia’s fingers tightened.
Cole noticed.
“You okay?””
“No.””
He nodded.
“Good answer.””
She almost laughed.
Almost.
Then she saw it.
The cabin.
It stood beyond a line of trees, exactly like the photograph.
One story.
Dark wood.
Stone chimney.
Windows covered from the inside.
Cole stopped the motorcycle.
Nobody spoke.
Nia climbed off.
Her mother stared at the cabin.
Her lips moved.
“What?””
Nia heard her whisper.
“I remember the porch.””
Cole removed his helmet.
“So do I.””
They walked toward the house.
Every step felt wrong.
Nia found herself expecting a memory.
A flash.
A sound.
Something.
Nothing came.
They reached the front door.
It was unlocked.
Cole immediately raised a hand.
“Stay behind me.””
Nia ignored him.
She reached for the handle.
Cole caught her wrist.
“Wait.””
She looked at him.
“What?””
“There’s no dust.””
Nia looked inside.
He was right.
The floor was clean.
Too clean.
Someone had been there recently.
Cole pushed the door open.
The smell hit them first.
Fresh coffee.
Nia froze.
“Someone’s here.””
Cole entered.
His boots crossed the floor quietly.
Nia and her mother followed.
The interior looked almost exactly like it had thirty years earlier.
A stone fireplace.
A wooden table.
Two old chairs.
A narrow staircase.
On the wall hung a collection of photographs.
Nia walked toward them.
Her breath caught.
They were all pictures of her.
Five years old.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
School.
Birthday.
Walking into her restaurant on opening day.
Nia stared.
“They watched me.””
Cole looked at the photographs.
“Someone did.””
Her mother touched one.
Tears filled her eyes.
“She was so beautiful.””
Nia pulled away.
“Don’t.””
The woman lowered her hand.
“I’m sorry.””
A floorboard creaked upstairs.
Cole raised his gun.
Nia’s heart jumped.
“Cole.””
“Stay back.””
They listened.
Another creak.
Then silence.
Cole motioned for them to stay downstairs.
He climbed slowly.
Nia looked around.
Something was wrong.
A photograph sat on the table.
She picked it up.
It showed her father standing outside the cabin.
Beside him was Cole.
Beside Cole was a third young man.
Nia stared.
She knew that face.
She had seen it in the photograph from the restaurant.
The person whose presence had been cut out.
Her mother rushed over.
“Where did you find that?””
Nia turned the photograph.
No writing.
But on the front, the young man was smiling.
“Is this Elias?””
Her mother nodded.
“Yes.””
Nia looked at Cole.
“You said you only knew of him.””
Cole stared at the image.
“I was wrong.””
“How?””
“I thought he disappeared before I met your father.””
Her mother shook her head.
“He was there that night.””
A loud crash came from upstairs.
Everyone jumped.
Cole drew his weapon and ran up.
Nia followed.
They reached the second floor.
An old bedroom door stood open.
The room was empty.
Except for a wooden chair.
And a tape recorder.
It was already playing.
A man's voice filled the room.
Older.
Rough.
Familiar.
Nia dropped to her knees.
It was her father.
“Nia…”
Her entire body went cold.
The tape crackled.
“I don't know when you'll hear this.””
Nia covered her mouth.
Cole stared at the recorder.
Her father's voice continued.
“If you're hearing me, then Calvin found you.””
Nia looked at her mother.
The woman was crying.
Her father's voice became quieter.
“I need you to know something.””
A pause.
“I never stopped looking for you.””
Nia’s tears fell.
“I stayed away because I had no choice.””
The tape crackled again.
Then:
“Cole will tell you I died.””
Cole closed his eyes.
“I asked him to.””
Nia slowly turned toward him.
The recording continued.
“Because the only way to keep you alive was to make everyone believe I was gone.””
Nia shook her head.
“Dad…”
Then the voice changed.
Urgent.
“Listen carefully.””
The tape hissed.
“Calvin is not the person you need to fear.””
Nia froze.
Her mother looked up.
Her father's voice continued.
“The person who betrayed me was someone inside the club.””
Cole's eyes widened.
“The person who knew every route. Every safe house. Every name.””
A pause.
Then one final sentence.
“Ask Cole why Elias was wearing his vest the night I disappeared.””
The recorder clicked.
Silence.
Nia turned slowly.
Cole was staring at the photograph.
The young Elias.
The leather vest.
The black iron horse patch.
The same patch Cole wore now.
Nia stepped toward him.
“Why?””
Cole didn't answer.
“Cole.””
His face crumpled.
“I gave him my vest.””
“Why?””
“Because he was leaving with your father.””
“Where?””
Cole looked at the closed bedroom window.
“I thought he was taking you somewhere safe.””
Nia’s voice dropped.
“What really happened?””
Cole finally looked at her.
“I wasn't the one who abandoned your father.””
He swallowed.
“I was the one who was betrayed.””
Suddenly, headlights swept across the bedroom wall.
One vehicle.
Then another.
Then another.
Cole rushed to the window.
His expression turned grim.
“There are people outside.””
Nia stepped beside him.
“How many?””
Cole counted the lights.
“Too many.””
Her mother looked toward the hallway.
“Calvin.””
Cole shook his head.
“No.””
He looked at Nia.
“This isn't Calvin.””
“Then who?””
A voice came from downstairs.
Calm.
Male.
Familiar.
“You should have listened to your father, Cole.””
Cole went rigid.
Nia stared at him.
“Who is that?””
He didn't answer.
The voice came again.
“You always were bad at keeping secrets.””
Cole whispered a name.
One Nia had never heard before.
May you like
Then the bedroom door slammed shut behind them.
And the lock clicked from the outside.
