Chapter 5: The Secret Under Number Seventeen
The people who stepped out of those vehicles didn’t move like strangers.
They moved like soldiers.
Four men.
Two women.
All wearing black.
All carrying the same symbol.
The broken wolf.
The same mark Mason had hidden on the photograph.
The same mark that meant escape.
But looking at them now, it looked more like a warning.
Darius whispered beside me.
“They’re not here for the bike.””
I kept my eyes forward.
“Then what are they here for?””
His answer came quietly.
“Mia.””
The little girl pressed closer to me.
I felt her small hand gripping my vest.
Seven years old.
And already learning that some people in the world came looking for children for reasons nobody wanted to explain.
I stepped forward.
The tallest man approached.
He had a scar running from his eyebrow down toward his cheek.
His eyes moved from me to Mia.
Then to Renee.
“Well,” he said.
His voice was calm.
“Looks like everyone decided to come out of hiding.””
I didn’t know him.
But he knew exactly who we were.
“Who are you?””
The man smiled slightly.
“Someone who knew Mason before you did.””
I laughed once.
“No.””
His smile disappeared.
“You think you knew him.””
The words bothered me because they sounded exactly like something Mason would say.
I tightened my jaw.
“Where is he?””
The man looked at the phone in my hand.
“You heard from him.””
Not a question.
I didn’t respond.
He nodded.
“Mason always had a weakness.””
“What?””
“People.””
I stepped forward.
“You don’t get to talk about him like you knew him.””
The man looked at Mia.
“I knew him well enough to know he would destroy everything to protect her.””
Mia looked up.
“Where’s my daddy?””
For the first time, the man hesitated.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
A crack.
Something human.
Then it disappeared.
“He’s not coming back.””
Mia’s eyes dropped.
I moved between them.
“You don’t speak to her like that.””
The man looked at me.
“You’re Bear.””
“Yes.””
“The man Mason trusted.””
“Yes.””
He nodded.
“Then you’re exactly where he wanted you.””
I glanced at Renee.
“What does that mean?””
Nobody answered.
That scared me more than anything.
I pulled out the key.
The silver one.
The man’s expression changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
He recognized it.
“Where did you get that?””
I smiled without humor.
“Now we’re asking questions?””
His eyes stayed on the key.
“That key shouldn’t exist.””
“Why?””
“Because Mason destroyed it.””
I looked down.
“Well, he didn’t.””
The man took a step closer.
“Give it to me.””
“No.””
The silence became sharp.
Then he sighed.
“Bear, you have no idea what you’re holding.””
“Then explain.””
He looked around.
At the wreck.
At the road.
At Mia.
“Not here.””
A laugh escaped me.
“Funny. Your people showed up here.””
His face tightened.
“They’re not my people.””
That caught me off guard.
Before I could ask, Renee moved beside me.
“Bear, don’t listen to him.””
The man looked at her.
“You still protect him?””
Renee’s voice became cold.
“I protect the truth.””
The man shook his head.
“You always did.””
Then he reached inside his jacket.
I reacted instantly.
My body moved before my brain.
But he didn’t pull a weapon.
He pulled out a small envelope.
Old.
Damaged.
And sealed.
“Mason wrote this.””
I stared.
“How do you have it?””
“Because I was there the night he disappeared.””
The world went quiet.
“You saw him?””
“Yes.””
“Alive?””
The man looked at Mia.
“Yes.””
My heart pounded.
“Then why did you let everyone believe he died?””
His face changed.
Because the answer hurt.
“Because Mason asked me to.””
I froze.
“No.””
“He knew they would kill Mia if they knew she existed.””
Renee looked down.
Mia whispered:
“They wanted to hurt me?””
Nobody answered.
That was answer enough.
I took the envelope.
My hands felt heavier than they should have.
On the front were three words.
*FOR BEAR ONLY.*
I opened it.
Inside was one page.
Mason’s handwriting.
My oldest friend’s handwriting.
The first line nearly broke me.
Bear,
If you are reading this, then I failed.
I stopped.
The road disappeared.
The voices disappeared.
All I saw were those words.
The man watched me.
“What does it say?””
I folded the paper slightly.
“Nothing you need to know.””
His expression hardened.
“You don’t understand.””
“No,” I said.
“You don’t understand.””
I looked at Mia.
Then back at him.
“I spent five years thinking my brother was dead.””
The man didn’t move.
“And now I find out he was alive.””
I stepped closer.
“You don’t get to stand there and tell me what I can handle.””
For the first time, he looked away.
Because he knew I was right.
Then my phone rang.
Everyone froze.
Not Mason.
A different number.
Unknown.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A woman’s voice came through.
Quiet.
Terrified.
“Bear?””
I frowned.
“Who is this?””
The voice trembled.
“It’s me.””
I looked at Renee.
She looked confused.
Darius looked confused.
Then the woman said:
“I’m Mia’s mother.””
The world stopped.
Because Renee was standing right in front of me.
May you like
And the woman on the phone whispered:
“Please don’t let them know I’m alive.””
