chapter twenty nine
479 Words
The Shot in the Dark
The echo of the gunshot lingered through the Carter mansion.
For one terrifying second...
No one moved.
"Maya!"
Ethan instinctively pulled her behind him, shielding her with his body.
The emergency lights flickered on, casting the hallways in a dim red glow.
Footsteps thundered through the mansion as security guards rushed toward the sound.
Ryan sprinted into the corridor, his gun drawn.
"Everyone stay back!"
At the end of the hallway, a maid lay on the floor, clutching her shoulder.
She was alive.
The bullet had grazed her, but blood stained her uniform.
"Call an ambulance!" Ryan shouted.
Two guards hurried to help her while another searched the area.
"The shooter is gone, sir!"
Ryan cursed under his breath.
"They knew exactly where to escape."
Ethan kept one arm around Maya.
"Are you hurt?"
She shook her head, though her hands were trembling.
"No..."
"But whoever did this wanted to create panic."
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"No."
He glanced toward the wounded maid.
"They wanted to send us a message."
Minutes later...
The mansion's power was restored.
Ryan entered the security room once again.
He replayed every available camera angle.
One frame caught his attention.
A shadow slipped through a hidden service corridor just seconds before the blackout.
The figure wore black gloves.
And on one hand...
A silver ring engraved with a phoenix.
Ryan's eyes narrowed.
"The same ring..."
He immediately printed the image.
"I've seen it before."
Meanwhile...
The injured maid asked to speak with Ethan alone.
Her voice was weak.
"Mr. Carter..."
"I... I saw the shooter."
Ethan leaned closer.
"Who was it?"
She struggled to breathe.
"I couldn't see the face..."
"But..."
"The shooter spoke to someone through an earpiece."
"What did they say?"
She swallowed painfully.
"They said..."
'The shadow is still inside the mansion.'
Before Ethan could ask another question...
She lost consciousness.
The paramedics rushed her into the ambulance.
Across the city...
Victor Hayes stood by the window of his penthouse.
Sophia Bennett entered quietly.
"The attack failed."
Victor smiled calmly.
"It wasn't supposed to kill anyone."
Sophia frowned.
"Then what was the point?"
Victor turned to face her.
"Fear."
"The moment people stop trusting each other..."
"They begin destroying themselves."
He picked up the Project Phoenix file.
"And Ethan has just taken the first step."
Back at the Carter mansion...
Unable to sleep, Maya walked into the mansion library.
She hoped reading would calm her mind.
As she reached for a book...
A folded envelope slipped from the shelf and landed at her feet.
Her name was written across the front.
MAYA.
Her heart pounded.
With trembling fingers, she opened it.
Inside was a single photograph.
It showed a little girl, no older than five, standing beside Ethan's late father.
On the back, written in faded ink, were six chilling words:
"You were never here by accident."
- Writer
