The Message At The Gate (2)
863 Words
Ada's POV (Continuation)
Neither man answered.
Instead...
They stared silently at the photograph.
As though the image in Liam's hand had just changed everything.
My patience snapped.
"Will somebody tell me what's going on?"
James looked at Liam.
Liam looked back at the photograph.
For a long moment...
No one spoke.
Finally, Liam walked toward me.
His face revealed nothing.
He held out the photograph.
"See for yourself."
My fingers trembled as I took it.
At first...
I didn't understand what I was looking at.
Then my breath caught.
It was me.
The picture had been taken the night I witnessed the murder.
I stood frozen at the mouth of the alley, my handbag hanging from one shoulder, my face pale with terror.
The rain blurred the edges of the photograph, but I could still make out the silhouettes of the masked men behind me.
One of them...
Was looking straight at the camera.
As if he knew the picture was being taken.
My stomach lurched.
"I... I don't remember this."
"You wouldn't," James said quietly.
"You were trying to stay alive."
My eyes drifted to the bottom of the photograph.
Someone had written six words in bold black ink.
THE WITNESS BELONGS TO US.
My knees nearly gave way.
Mrs. Rose rushed forward and steadied me before I could fall.
"No..." I whispered.
"No..."
Every terrifying memory came crashing back.
The gunshot.
The body collapsing.
The rain soaking my clothes.
My desperate footsteps splashing through puddles as I ran without looking back.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
I could still hear the screams.
"They know who I am."
Nobody answered.
Because they all knew it was true.
I slowly looked at Liam.
"This..."
My voice shook.
"This is because of me, isn't it?"
"No."
His answer came immediately.
"But if I hadn't seen them—" I started
"No."
His voice was firmer this time.
"This is because they're murderers."
The room fell silent.
"They're the ones who chose to hunt an innocent woman."
His eyes met mine.
"You are not responsible for their choices."
Something inside me shifted.
No one had said those words to me before.
Since that horrible night...
I'd blamed myself for everything.
If I hadn't taken that shortcut...
If I'd left work earlier...
If I'd looked the other way...
Maybe none of this would have happened.
Yet Liam spoke as though there had never been another possibility.
As though protecting me wasn't a burden.
James let out a slow breath.
"We've got another problem."
Everyone turned toward him.
"The photo."
He pointed to the corner.
"There."
I looked closer.
At first, I saw nothing.
Then...
A tiny silver emblem was stamped into the paper.
A crown.
With a snake coiled around it.
Liam's eyes narrowed.
"So..."
"They're not hiding anymore," James finished.
Before I could ask what the symbol meant, one of the security guards hurried into the room.
"Sir."
"What is it?" Liam asked.
"We managed to recover part of the footage from the eastern security cameras."
James frowned.
"I thought they were disabled."
"They were."
The guard nodded.
"But one camera came back online for a few seconds before shutting down again."
Liam's expression hardened.
"Bring it."
"Yes, sir."
The guard hurried away and returned moments later carrying a tablet.
Everyone gathered around.
Including me.
The video began to play.
The screen showed the eastern side of the estate.
Trees swayed gently in the wind.
Everything looked normal.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Static flickered across the screen.
Then...
A figure appeared.
Dressed entirely in black.
A hood covered the person's head.
The figure moved confidently across the estate grounds.
Not sneaking.
Not hesitating.
Walking like someone who already knew the layout.
My heart began pounding again.
"They were inside," I whispered.
The figure stopped.
Slowly...
Almost deliberately...
The hooded person turned toward the camera.
Even though the face remained hidden...
It felt like they were staring directly at us.
Then the person raised a hand.
Not to wave.
Not to threaten.
To adjust the hood.
For the briefest moment...
The sleeve slid back.
Revealing the back of a hand.
There...
Burned into the skin...
Was a small black tattoo.
A raven with its wings spread wide.
The footage froze.
The room fell into complete silence.
James' face turned white.
"No..."
His voice was barely audible.
Liam looked at him.
"You recognize it."
James swallowed hard.
"I'd know that tattoo anywhere."
My eyes moved between them.
"Whose tattoo is it?"
James didn't answer.
His gaze remained fixed on the frozen screen.
Liam's jaw tightened.
"Say it."
The words sounded more like an order than a request.
James closed his eyes for a brief second.
When he opened them...
They were filled with disbelief.
"It belongs to..."
He struggled to get the words out.
"...Nathan Cole."
The name echoed through the silent room.
Every guard stiffened.
Mrs. Rose covered her mouth.
I looked around in confusion.
"Who's Nathan Cole?"
No one answered immediately.
Liam stared at the screen, his expression colder than I had ever seen.
When he finally spoke...
His voice was low.
Heavy.
"Someone I trusted like a brother."
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