Chapter 4 - FIRE ON HAZEL RANCH
The first window shattered before anyone could react.
A bottle flew through the opening.
It hit the wooden floor.
Flames spread immediately.
Pearl screamed.
“Dad!”
I grabbed her.
“Get down!”
Smoke filled the corridor.
My mother rushed toward the main entrance.
Della stood frozen.
Eleanor tried to stand.
I grabbed her arm.
“We have to move.”
“I can't walk quickly.”
“I'll carry you.”
I lifted her.
Pearl stayed close.
“Dad, where do we go?”
“Back passage.”
We moved through the hidden corridor.
Behind us, flames climbed the walls.
The old barn began crackling.
My mother shouted:
“The documents!”
I looked back.
The metal box was still inside the room.
I turned.
“No.”
Eleanor grabbed my sleeve.
“Leave them.”
“I can't.”
“They're copies.”
I stopped.
“What?”
“The originals are somewhere else.”
“Where?”
She looked at Pearl.
“Inside the old oak.”
My heart pounded.
“Then we go.”
We escaped through the rear passage.
Smoke rolled across the barn roof.
Outside, Victor stood near the vehicles.
He watched the fire calmly.
When he saw me, he smiled.
“Mr. Carter.”
I held Eleanor behind me.
“You're under arrest.”
Victor laughed.
“You don't understand.”
“You set my barn on fire.”
“I didn't.”
I pointed toward the flames.
“You brought the men.”
“Proof?”
“Witnesses.”
He glanced at Eleanor.
His smile vanished.
“You found her.”
“Yes.”
He stared at her.
“You were supposed to be dead.”
Eleanor smiled.
“You've always been terrible at finishing what Thomas started.”
Victor's jaw tightened.
He looked at Della.
“You failed me.”
Della stepped backward.
“I didn't know she was there.”
“You knew enough.”
Victor raised his hand.
One of the men moved toward Della.
I stepped between them.
“Touch her and I'll call the police.”
Victor laughed.
“You already called them.”
I froze.
He looked toward the road.
Nothing.
“No signal.”
I checked my phone.
No service.
Victor had jammed the area.
He smiled.
“You should have signed the papers.”
“I never would.”
“Then you will watch the ranch disappear.”
He pointed toward the burning barn.
“The evidence is gone.”
I looked at Eleanor.
She shook her head.
“No.”
Victor frowned.
“You don't have the originals.”
Eleanor smiled.
“You don't know where they are.”
Victor stared.
Then his eyes moved toward Pearl.
My daughter.
I immediately pulled her behind me.
“Don't look at her.”
Victor smiled.
“The child.”
Pearl gripped my jacket.
Victor spoke quietly.
“She knows.”
I stepped forward.
“You stay away from my daughter.”
He raised both hands.
“I don't need to touch her.”
Then he pointed toward the forest.
“The old oak.”
My blood froze.
He knew.
Victor laughed.
“You see?”
“You're too late.”
“No.”
He turned toward his men.
“Find it.”
The men ran toward the woods.
I grabbed Della.
“Where is the nearest radio?”
“In the main house.”
“Go.”
She stared.
“What?”
“Get the emergency radio.”
She nodded and ran.
My mother followed.
I stayed with Pearl and Eleanor.
Victor watched.
Then he stepped closer.
“You think your father protected you.”
I didn't answer.
“He didn't.”
“What did you do to him?”
Victor smiled.
“Nothing.”
“Then who?”
“Ask your mother.”
I looked at my mother.
She had stopped.
Victor laughed.
“She knows.”
My mother turned pale.
I walked toward her.
“Mom?”
She looked at me.
“I didn't kill your father.”
“I didn't ask that.”
“I knew he was going to confront your grandfather.”
“And?”
“I warned him.”
“What happened?”
“He didn't listen.”
Victor smiled.
“She sent him into the trap.”
My mother shook her head.
“No.”
“You knew.”
“I knew he was in danger.”
“You let him go.”
“I tried to stop him.”
Victor laughed.
“You were the last person to see him alive.”
I stared at my mother.
She began crying.
“I didn't know.”
I wanted to believe her.
But I couldn't.
Not anymore.
Then Pearl whispered:
“Dad.”
I looked down.
“What?”
She pointed toward the ground.
“Look.”
A small metal box had been pushed out of the dirt by the fire crew's equipment.
I picked it up.
It had the same H.C.R. symbol.
Eleanor smiled.
“The reserve.”
Victor saw it.
His face changed.
“Give me that.”
I stepped backward.
“No.”
He moved toward us.
Then a loud voice echoed across the ranch.
“Federal agents! Drop your weapons!”
Victor froze.
Della had reached the radio.
She had called for help.
Police vehicles appeared at the end of the road.
Victor's men scattered.
Officers rushed across the field.
Victor turned to run.
Eleanor shouted:
“Stop him!”
Two officers tackled him before he reached the SUV.
Victor screamed.
“You don't know what you're doing!”
The detective who had helped us earlier stepped forward.
“We know exactly what we're doing.”
He held up the demolition authorization.
“We also know this document was forged.”
Victor was handcuffed.
Della surrendered quietly.
My mother was taken for questioning.
The fire department extinguished the barn.
Most of it was destroyed.
But the hidden room survived.
And the metal box was intact.
Inside was the original land agreement.
A map.
And a letter.
My father's handwriting.
Wade, if you found this, Victor has failed.
I stared.
Then read the next line.
But there is one person you must never trust.
I looked around.
My mother.
Della.
Eleanor.
And then the final name appeared.
Hazel.
My mother's name.
I looked up.
She was standing across the field.
May you like
She saw the letter.
And she started crying.
