Episode 18 — The Choice
1930 Words
Daniel stopped with one hand on the open car door.
Rain ran down his face.
Behind him, Elena was breathing hard.
Marcus stood several feet away, his expression unreadable.
Sarah waited beside the car.
Nobody moved.
Daniel slowly turned around.
“What did he mean?”
Marcus looked at Sarah.
Then back at Daniel.
“It means Maya knew you would trust the person who offered you the fastest answer.”
Daniel stared at him.
Sarah laughed quietly.
“And you're surprised he came?”
Marcus ignored her.
Daniel looked at Elena.
“Did Maya tell you that?”
Elena nodded.
Daniel's stomach tightened.
“When?”
Elena looked away.
“Before she disappeared.”
Daniel took a step toward her.
“So she told you what I would do.”
“Daniel—”
“She told you things about me.”
“It wasn't like that.”
“Then what was it like?”
Elena looked as though she wanted to speak.
But Sarah interrupted.
“You're wasting time.”
Daniel turned.
Sarah was still standing beside the open door.
Her calm expression had begun to irritate him.
“Why are you so sure Maya is in Eastbridge?”
Sarah smiled.
“Because I saw her.”
Daniel's heart stopped for half a second.
“When?”
“Three days ago.”
Elena immediately shook her head.
“No.”
Sarah looked at her.
“You weren't there.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Three days ago?”
Sarah nodded.
“Where?”
“Eastbridge.”
Marcus moved toward them.
“She's lying.”
Sarah's expression didn't change.
“Am I?”
Daniel looked between them.
His phone buzzed.
Everyone looked down.
A message appeared.
SARAH DID SEE MAYA.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
BUT MAYA DIDN'T WANT SARAH TO FIND HER.
Daniel slowly looked up.
Sarah's smile disappeared.
Marcus noticed the change in Daniel's expression.
“What does it say?”
Daniel didn't answer.
His phone buzzed again.
ASK SARAH WHAT HAPPENED AT THE HARBOR.
Daniel felt the cold rain against his neck.
He looked directly at Sarah.
“What happened at the harbor?”
For the first time, Sarah looked surprised.
Only for a second.
But Daniel saw it.
Marcus's face hardened.
Elena whispered, “Daniel, don't.”
Sarah slowly closed the car door.
The sound echoed through the street.
“What did your message say?”
Daniel didn't answer.
Sarah took a step toward him.
Daniel stepped back.
“Answer my question.”
Her voice had changed.
It was still calm.
But something underneath it had disappeared.
Daniel looked at Marcus.
“What happened at the harbor?”
Marcus remained silent.
Daniel turned back to Sarah.
“Tell me.”
Sarah stared at him.
Then she smiled again.
But this time, there was no warmth in it.
“Maya found something.”
Daniel's heartbeat increased.
“What?”
Sarah glanced toward the warehouses.
“A recording.”
Marcus immediately stepped forward.
“Sarah.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
“Don't.”
Daniel turned toward Marcus.
“You knew?”
Marcus's silence was enough.
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Of course you knew.”
Elena grabbed Daniel's arm.
“Please.”
He pulled free.
“No.”
Sarah folded her arms.
“The recording contained a conversation.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Between who?”
Sarah hesitated.
Then she looked directly at Elena.
Elena's face went pale.
Daniel noticed.
His stomach dropped.
“No.”
Elena whispered, “Sarah, stop.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“A conversation between who?”
Sarah answered.
“Elena and someone Maya trusted.”
Daniel stared at Elena.
“What does that mean?”
Elena shook her head.
“You don't understand.”
“Then help me.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Because if I tell you, you'll never look at me the same way again.”
Daniel felt something inside him go quiet.
“For seven years, you've been standing beside me.”
Elena looked at him.
“I know.”
“You watched me search for Maya.”
“I know.”
“You listened to me blame myself.”
“Daniel—”
“And all this time, you knew something.”
Elena covered her mouth.
Daniel looked away.
For a moment, he couldn't look at her.
His phone buzzed again.
A new message.
DON'T ASK ELENA ABOUT MAYA.
Daniel frowned.
Then another message appeared immediately.
ASK HER ABOUT YOUR FATHER.
Daniel stopped breathing.
Slowly, he turned back toward Elena.
“My father?”
Elena's eyes widened.
Marcus moved forward.
“Daniel, don't.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Why?”
Marcus said nothing.
Daniel's voice became quieter.
“What does my father have to do with Maya?”
Nobody answered.
The rain fell harder.
Sarah looked toward the dark street behind them.
“We need to leave.”
Daniel ignored her.
“Elena.”
She closed her eyes.
“Tell me.”
Daniel took another step toward her.
“My father died twelve years ago.”
“I know.”
“He has nothing to do with this.”
Elena opened her eyes.
Daniel immediately knew.
He was wrong.
His heartbeat pounded.
“What?”
Elena looked at Marcus.
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
Daniel turned to him.
“Stop doing that.”
Marcus's jaw tightened.
“Doing what?”
“Acting like you get to decide what I know.”
Sarah suddenly laughed.
All three of them looked at her.
“You really have no idea.”
Daniel's anger exploded.
“Then tell me!”
Sarah stepped closer.
“Your father knew about Maya.”
The world seemed to tilt.
Daniel stared at her.
“What?”
“He knew she was in danger.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“He tried to protect her.”
“No.”
“And when he couldn't—”
“Stop.”
Sarah stopped.
Daniel looked toward Elena.
She was crying.
He turned to Marcus.
Marcus looked away.
Daniel felt his hands begin to shake.
“My father died before Maya disappeared.”
Marcus slowly looked at him.
“No.”
Daniel froze.
Marcus's voice was quiet.
“He died after Maya found the recording.”
Daniel stared at him.
The rain.
The cars.
The warehouses.
Everything around him suddenly felt distant.
“That isn't possible.”
Elena whispered, “Daniel…”
“My father died twelve years ago.”
Marcus nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
Daniel laughed.
It sounded wrong.
“You're telling me Maya found something connected to my father.”
“Yes.”
“And nobody thought to tell me?”
Marcus's expression filled with regret.
“It was never that simple.”
Daniel stared at him.
“There it is again.”
Marcus said nothing.
Daniel looked at Sarah.
“Where is the recording?”
Sarah smiled faintly.
“Eastbridge.”
Marcus immediately grabbed Daniel's arm.
“No.”
Daniel pulled away.
“Don't touch me.”
“Listen to me.”
“No.”
Marcus stepped closer.
“That recording is why Maya disappeared.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“What?”
Sarah looked toward the car.
“You see?”
Marcus ignored her.
“Maya didn't disappear because of an accident.”
Daniel's breathing became shallow.
“I know that.”
“She disappeared because she found out who was involved.”
“Who?”
Marcus hesitated.
Daniel's voice dropped.
“Who?”
Marcus looked at Elena.
Daniel followed his eyes.
Elena was shaking her head.
“No.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Elena?”
She backed away.
“Please don't make me say it.”
Daniel felt cold.
Even though rain was already soaking through his clothes.
“Say what?”
Elena looked at him.
And whispered—
“Your father wasn't who you thought he was.”
Daniel couldn't move.
Sarah immediately opened the car door.
“We're leaving.”
Marcus stepped in front of Daniel.
“Don't go with her.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because Sarah isn't taking you to Maya.”
Sarah smiled.
Marcus continued.
“She wants the recording.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“Is that true?”
Sarah's smile faded.
“What do you think?”
Daniel stared at her.
His phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
THE RECORDING IS NOT AT 17 HARPER STREET.
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
Another message.
MAYA LEFT IT SOMEWHERE ONLY DANIEL WOULD FIND.
Daniel stared at the screen.
His mind raced.
Only Daniel.
Something Maya had hidden for him.
A memory.
A place.
Then suddenly, he remembered.
Seven years ago.
The night before Maya disappeared.
She had called him.
Not the terrified call.
Another call.
Earlier that evening.
She had asked him a strange question.
“Do you still remember where we buried the time capsule?”
Daniel stopped breathing.
Elena noticed.
“What?”
Daniel looked up.
The time capsule.
He and Maya had buried it when they were children.
Behind their old house.
Daniel's phone buzzed again.
YES.
He stared at the single word.
Then a final message appeared.
DON'T LET THEM FOLLOW YOU.
Daniel slowly lowered the phone.
Marcus was watching him.
Elena was watching him.
Sarah was watching him.
None of them knew what he had just remembered.
Daniel forced himself to remain calm.
“Fine.”
Marcus frowned.
“Fine?”
Daniel looked toward Sarah's car.
“Take me to Eastbridge.”
Elena stepped forward.
“Daniel.”
He ignored her.
Sarah smiled.
“Good choice.”
Daniel walked toward the passenger door.
Marcus grabbed his shoulder.
“Don't.”
Daniel turned.
For a moment, he looked directly into Marcus's eyes.
Then he said quietly—
“I'm not going to Eastbridge.”
Marcus's expression changed.
Daniel pulled away.
Sarah stepped forward.
“What?”
Daniel ran.
He moved past the parked vehicles and into the darkness between the warehouses.
“Elena!” Sarah shouted.
Daniel didn't look back.
His phone buzzed in his hand.
A message appeared.
GOOD.
Daniel ran faster.
Behind him, footsteps followed.
More than one person.
Daniel turned a corner.
His chest burned.
Another message appeared.
DON'T GO HOME.
Daniel stopped.
For one second.
Then another message arrived.
THEY'RE ALREADY THERE.
Daniel's blood turned cold.
A photograph appeared.
It showed the front of his apartment building.
Taken seconds ago.
At first, Daniel saw nothing unusual.
Then he zoomed in.
Someone was standing outside his apartment door.
Waiting.
Daniel stared at the screen.
His phone rang.
Unknown Number.
For the first time, Daniel didn't hesitate.
He answered.
“Who is this?”
There was silence.
Then a woman's voice whispered—
“Daniel.”
He stopped breathing.
The voice was clear.
Not a recording.
Not an imitation.
“It's me.”
Daniel's hand began to shake.
“Maya?”
The voice on the other end went silent.
Then she whispered—
“You have to find the time capsule before they do.”
The call ended.
Daniel stood alone in the darkness.
His phone buzzed one final time.
A message appeared.
RUN.
Daniel looked up.
At the far end of the alley, a figure stepped out of the shadows.
Daniel couldn't see the person's face.
But he saw what they were holding.
A small, silver object.
The same key Elena had shown him.
The figure spoke.
“Looking for this?”
Daniel's heart stopped.
The figure stepped closer.
And Daniel recognized the voice.
It belonged to his father.
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