Chapter 4 - The Threat at the Gate
"You need to leave this property immediately," David shouted into the intercom, his hand gripping the microphone console. "This is private land, and you are trespassing!"
The man with the scar didn't flinch. He leaned closer to the camera lens, revealing a cold, calculating smile.
"Mr. David Turner, I suggest you consult your father before you make a mistake," the man said smoothly. "Thomas Turner crossed state lines to abduct a girl who is officially listed as a psychiatric patient under Mr. Arthur Collins's care. If you don't open these doors, we will call the local sheriff's department and serve the warrant publicly. I don't think your family's stock price can survive a scandal like that."
David hesitated. The mention of the stock price struck a nerve—it was the exact phrasing Robert always used.
"David, don't open it," I warned him softly. "Look at their car."
Parked just behind them in the driveway was an unmarked black van with tinted windows and reinforced bumpers. Those weren't court officers or police deputies. They were hired enforcement—thugs sent to retrieve a captive.
"We are calling our lawyers right now," I said into the intercom, taking the microphone from David. "If you do not step off the porch in thirty seconds, the automated defense system will trigger an armed response alert to the King County Police."
The scarred man stared into the camera lens for three tense seconds. Then, he gave a slow nod.
"We'll be back, Mrs. Turner," he said softly. "Lily belongs to us. She has something that doesn't belong to your father."
They turned and walked back into the pouring rain, climbing into the black van and backing out through the iron gates, which had somehow been overridden and left wide open.
"They had an override code for the outer gates," David said, his face pale. "How is that possible? Only Dad, me, Hannah, and Robert have master override codes!"
My stomach dropped. "Robert."
Before David could respond, a soft, scraping noise echoed from the dark lower hallway.
We both turned.
Standing at the entrance of the hallway, leaning against the doorframe for support, was Lily.
She had managed to open the door from the inside. She was wearing an oversized gray sweater that swallowed her small frame, and her bare feet were trembling against the cold marble floor. Her skin was deathly pale, and around her right wrist was a thick white bandage covering deep, healing wounds.
In her left hand, she was clutching a small, silver USB flash drive so tightly her knuckles were white.
"Lily?" David said softly, taking a slow step toward her, holding his hands out to show he was unarmed. "Are you alright? What happened?"
Lily backed away slightly, her brown eyes wide with overwhelming fear. She looked like a wild animal that had been trapped and beaten for years.
"They... they found me," she whispered. Her voice was cracked and dry, barely audible above the sound of the rain. "Arthur sent them... didn't he?"
"We didn't let them in," I said gently, stepping beside David. "Lily, my name is Nancy. I'm David's wife. We know who your father was. We know about Julian."
At the mention of her father's name, tears filled Lily's eyes and spilled over her pale cheeks. She let out a small, shuddering breath.
"Your father... Thomas... he didn't marry me," Lily stammered, her voice shaking violently. "He... he pretended to marry me to give me a new legal identity... to protect me under his household status... because Arthur was going to kill me."
David froze. "What?"
"My father didn't die in an accident," Lily wept, collapsing onto her knees on the cold floor. "Arthur killed him for his code! And then... then Arthur spent two years poisoning me... trying to force me to give up the master decryption key my father hid before he died!"
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She held up the small silver flash drive.
"This is the key to Turner Smart Tech's entire global grid," Lily sobbed. "And someone in your family... someone in this house... has been helping Arthur sell it!"
