Chapter 9
It was waiting for me to walk right into it.
That message was like bait on a hook.
Even though I knew it was a trap, I couldn't help but want to see what was going on.
I waited for two hours.
By three in the morning, the whole Stevens Estate was dead silent.
I quietly opened my door and slipped out.
The hallway was deserted.
Only a few dim wall lamps were lit, casting a long shadow behind me.
The Stevens Estate had tight security.
Surveillance cameras watched every corner.
After ten years behind bars, I became a pro at slipping past cameras.
Sticking to the shadows along the walls, I made my way down to the first floor.
The back door was locked.
That was nothing for me.
I fished a wire out of my pocket and had the lock open in no time.
The backyard was huge.
Under the moonlight, all those rare plants and trees turned into sinister silhouettes, like ghosts lurking in the shadows.
Following the directions in the message, I found the old, abandoned well.
The well was blocked by a heavy concrete slab.
The surface was thick with moss.
I had to use every ounce of strength to push the slab aside enough to open a gap.
A blast of rotten, moldy air washed over my face.
I pulled out my phone, switched on the flashlight, and shone it down into the well.
The well wasn't very deep, maybe fifteen feet or so.
The bottom was piled up with dead branches and rotting leaves.
I didn't see any so-called "evidence" down there.
I wondered if I got played.
I was about to leave.
Suddenly, something at the bottom of the well glinted in the light.
I leaned in for a closer look.
Beneath the thick layer of dead leaves, it looked like there was a black bag buried down there.
I couldn't help but frown.
I wondered if I should go down.
I was hesitating.
Suddenly, I heard a woman's voice behind me.
"What are you looking for?"
I whipped around.
Page was standing a few steps behind me.
She was dressed in a white nightgown, her long hair cascading down her shoulders.
Under the moonlight, she looked like a ghost.
I asked, "What are you doing out here?"
Without thinking, I stepped in front of the well, blocking it from view.
"This is my house. Why wouldn't I be here?" Page shot back.
She approached me slowly, her gaze lingering on the concrete slab I'd pushed aside.
She said, "It's three in the morning, and instead of sleeping, you're out here messing with an old well.
"Harding, what are you really up to?"
"Couldn't sleep, so I was wandering around," I replied.
I made up whatever came to mind.
"Really?" she asked.
She moved in close, her gaze as sharp as a blade.
"Let me guess. Someone texted you and said there's a secret stashed out here?" Page challenged.
My heart sank.
I wondered how she knew that.
"Looks like I was right," Page said.
Page let out a cold chuckle.
She said, "Seriously, Harding, you're way too naive.
"Did you really think you were the first one to get that text?"
"What the hell is this supposed to mean?" I asked.
"After my dad died, everyone who posed a threat to the inheritance got that text," Page said.
"And then?" I pressed.
Page replied, "And then, like you, they all came sneaking out here in the dead of night.
"And after that, they vanished."
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
"Was it you?" I asked.
"Me?" Page repeated.
She laughed, a sound that echoed through the silent night, sending a chill down my spine.
"I don't have that kind of power," she said.
She pointed into the darkness around us.
"It was them."
As the words left her lips, a dozen men dressed in black emerged from the shadows.
Each one was holding a bat.
Without a sound, they surrounded me.
Leading the pack was that slick-haired guy, Page's cousin, Derek Stevens.
He had a bandage wrapped around his head, shooting me a vengeful glare.
Derek sneered, "Harding, bet you didn't see this coming.
"You could've taken the easy way, but you chose to walk straight into hell!"
Suddenly, it all made sense.
This was a trap.
They sent the text.
Their whole plan was to draw me out here and make me disappear, without anyone ever finding out.
"Page, what are you trying to pull?" I demanded.
I looked at her.
"Didn't we already have a deal?" I pressed.
"Deal?" Page shot back.
She crossed her arms and strode over to Derek, standing by his side with a cold smile.
She said, "I was lying to you.
"You're too dangerous. You know way too much.
"Only the dead can keep secrets forever."
Derek said, "Harding, you're a real pain in the ass."
Derek gave his bat a little swing, a nasty grin spreading across his face.
"Tonight, you're joining the others rotting at the bottom of that well.
"Get him!"
The men in black rushed me all at once.
I grabbed Page and pulled her in front of me, taking her hostage.
I barked, "Nobody move.
"Or I'll strangle her right here!"
Derek froze for a second, then burst out laughing.
He sneered, "Strangle her.
"If you kill her, that saves me the trouble.
"Besides, the will says if she dies, you still get the inheritance!"