Chapter 13: The Voice From the Past
Nobody touched the phone.
Nobody even breathed.
The voice coming from the speaker had changed the entire room.
Not Marcus.
Not Elias.
Not Darius.
Someone else.
Someone impossible.
Bear stared at the device on the counter.
His father had been gone for twenty years.
Dead.
Buried.
A memory.
But the voice was real.
“Dad?””
The word escaped before he could stop it.
The phone crackled.
Then the voice answered.
“Elias was right to be afraid.””
Bear stepped closer.
“Where are you?””
No answer.
Only static.
Then:
“I don’t have much time.””
Elias moved toward the phone.
“Who is controlling this?””
The voice ignored him.
“Bear, listen carefully.””
The entire diner leaned closer.
“Your brother didn’t betray the club.””
Bear looked at Elias.
“I know.””
“No.””
The voice became urgent.
“You don’t understand.””
A pause.
“He didn’t betray the club. He betrayed the person who owned it.””
The room went silent.
Bear frowned.
“What does that mean?””
The voice continued.
“The club was never just a club.””
Elias closed his eyes.
Because he already knew.
“The patch,” his father said.
Everyone looked at the vest.
“The patch was a promise.””
Bear stared.
“A promise to who?””
The phone went silent.
Then:
“To people who had nobody else.””
Nia looked confused.
“What people?””
Bear’s father answered.
“People Marcus tried to erase.””
The words hit hard.
Marcus.
Again.
Always Marcus.
But something felt wrong.
Something didn’t fit.
Bear looked at Elias.
“You knew.””
Elias looked away.
“I knew pieces.””
“You knew my father was involved.””
“Yes.””
“And you said nothing.””
Elias’s expression broke.
“I was trying to protect you.””
Bear laughed quietly.
“You all keep saying that.””
The pain in his voice filled the room.
“Everyone protects me by lying to me.””
Nobody answered.
Then the phone spoke again.
“Bear.””
He looked down.
“There is one thing you need to understand.””
“What?””
“The person who betrayed Elias…”
The voice paused.
“…did it because they thought Elias was going to expose the truth.””
Bear looked around the room.
At Darius.
At Elias.
At Nia.
At every face.
“Who?””
The phone went quiet.
Then a new voice entered.
Not his father.
Marcus.
Everyone turned toward the window.
Marcus stood outside again.
But this time he wasn’t holding the vest.
He was holding a gun.
Not pointed at anyone.
Just visible.
A warning.
Bear stepped toward the door.
“Marcus.””
Marcus shook his head.
“Don’t.””
His voice was different.
Tired.
Not threatening.
“Not tonight.””
Bear stared.
“You’re behind all of this.””
Marcus looked at Elias.
“No.””
A pause.
“I’m cleaning up what someone else started.””
Elias stepped closer.
“Then why did you hurt Nia?””
Marcus looked down.
The guilt appeared again.
“Because I knew whoever was watching her would hurt her worse.””
Nia shook her head.
“That doesn’t make it okay.””
Marcus nodded.
“I know.””
Bear studied him.
For the first time, Marcus looked less like an enemy.
More like a man who had lost a war years ago.
“Who betrayed Elias?””
Marcus looked inside.
His eyes landed on Darius.
The room froze.
Darius stepped back.
“No.””
Marcus said nothing.
Darius’s voice rose.
“You think it was me?””
Marcus looked away.
“No.””
Everyone stopped.
Bear frowned.
“Then why are you looking at him?””
Marcus answered:
“Because he’s protecting the person who did.””
Darius’s face changed.
Barely.
But enough.
Bear saw it.
“Darius.””
Darius looked at him.
“I didn’t know.””
“Didn’t know what?””
Darius looked down.
“I didn’t know how far it went.””
The room exploded into questions.
But Bear raised his hand.
Silence.
“Start talking.””
Darius swallowed.
“I was ordered to watch Elias.””
“By who?””
Darius looked at the phone.
Then at the vest.
Then finally at Bear.
“By your father.””
Bear froze.
“My father?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because your father knew someone close to him was dangerous.””
Bear’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?””
Darius opened his mouth.
But before he could answer—
The phone went dead.
The lights returned.
And the old diner door slowly opened.
A figure stepped inside.
Someone nobody expected.
May you like
Someone who had been missing from the story all along.
Someone wearing the same patch.
