Chapter 4 - The Sins of the Father
Claire watched Ethan's face drain of color in the dim light.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper above the howling wind.
Ethan quickly shoved the papers into his jacket pocket, unable to tell her the truth.
He could not let her know that his family's empire was built on her parents' graves.
"It is nothing, just old tax records," Ethan lied smoothly.
He knew he had to get her to a safe house and figure out what his late father had done.
The distant sound of barking dogs grew significantly louder.
"They are getting closer," Ethan said, pulling Claire to her feet.
He found a rusted set of keys hanging on a nail near the back door.
He looked outside and saw an old, tarp-covered pickup truck parked in the weeds.
They rushed to the vehicle, throwing themselves into the dusty cab.
Ethan jammed the key into the ignition and prayed to a God he rarely spoke to.
The engine sputtered violently before roaring to life in a cloud of black smoke.
He threw the truck into gear and tore down the hidden logging road, leaving the dogs behind.
They drove in silence for thirty minutes until the faint glow of a small town appeared.
Ethan pulled up to the local Briar Glen police station.
"We are going to tell the authorities exactly what Vivian did to you," Ethan promised.
He helped Claire out of the truck, wrapping his arm securely around her waist.
They walked into the brightly lit precinct, startling the sleepy desk sergeant.
"I am Ethan Hale, and I need to speak to the chief of police immediately about a kidnapping," Ethan demanded.
The sergeant took one look at Claire's pale face and completely froze.
He picked up his desk phone without saying a single word.
A moment later, the heavy metal doors of the precinct locked with an electronic buzz.
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The police chief walked out of his back office, holding a shotgun.
"Vivian Ashford pays our pensions, Mr. Hale," the chief said, racking the shotgun.
